GIFT  OF 
Dean  Frank  H.  Probert 


Mining  Dept 


EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 


McGraw-Hill  BookCompany 


Electrical  World         The  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal 
Ensineering  Record  Engineering  News 

Railway  Age  G  azette  American  Machinist 

Signal  Engineer  American  Engineer 

Electric  Railway  Journal  Coal  Age 

Metallurgical  and  Chemical  Engineering  P o  we r 


EXCAVATING 
MACHINERY 


BY 
ALLEN  BOYER  McDANIEL,  B.  S. 

M.    AM.    SOC.    C.    E.,    M.    SOC.    PROM.    ENQ.    EDUC.,    M.    AM.    A8SOC. 
ADVAN.    SCI.,    M.  SO.  DAK.  ENG.  SOC.,  FORMER  PROFESSOR 
OF   CIVIL,    ENGINEERING,    UNIVERSITY   OF    SOUTH 
DAKOTA,    AS8T.    PROFESSOR   OF   CIVIL   ENGI- 
NEERING,    UNIVERSITY     OF     ILLINOIS 
CONSULTING   ENGINEER 


McGRAW-HILL  BOOK  COMPANY 

239  WEST  39TH  STREET,  NEW  YORK 

6  BOUVERIE  STREET,  LONDON,  E.  C. 

1913 


A/3 


KPI. 


GIFT  OP 

DEAN  FRANK  H  ,3  ROBERT 

AIMING  DEPT. 

COPYRIGHT,  1913,  BY  THE 
MCGRAW-HILL  BOOK  COMPANY 


THE.  MAPLE-  PRESS.  YORK.  PA. 


REVEREND  B.  F.  McDANIEL 

AS   A   TOKEN   OF    APPRECIATION 

AND   AFFECTION 

THIS  VOLUME   IS   DEDICATED 

BY   THE 

AUTHOR 


M127108 


PREFACE 

The  basis  of  this  book  was  a  set  of  notes  used  in  my  class  room 
and  thence  expanded  to  meet  practical  needs  in  the  field.  In  its 
preparation,  I  have  had  in  mind  not  only  the  engineer  and  the  con- 
tractor, but  also  the  farmer,  land  owner,  promoter,  and  officials 
charged  with  the  construction  of  public  works.  It  is  believed  that 
their  interests  would  be  materially  enhanced  by  familiarity  with  its 
contents. 

I  wish  especially  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  advice  and 
assistance  rendered  me  in  the  preparation  of  this  book  by  my  father, 
the  Reverend  B.  F.  McDaniel,  and  by  Professor  Ira  O.  Baker  of 
the  University  of  Illinois. 

I  wish  to  make  acknowledgment  to  the  following  engineers,  con- 
tractors and  manufacturers  who  have  kindly  and  generously  furnished 
me  with  general  information,  cost  data,  photographs,  cuts,  etc.: 
Hon.  S.  H.  Lea,  State  Engineer  of  South  Dakota;  Hon.  George  A. 
Ralph,  State  Drainage  Engineer  of  Minnesota;  Mr.  Sam  G.  Porter, 
Chief  Engineer  of  the  Arkansas  Valley  Sugar  Beet  and  Irrigated 
Land  Company;  The  Fellsmere  Farm  Company;  The  U.  S.  Reclama- 
tion Service;  R.  H.  and  G.  A.  McWilliams;  Mulgrew-Boyce  Co.; 
Pollard  &  Campbell  Dredging  Co.;  Jacobs  Engineering  Co.;  Thew 
Automatic  Shovel  Co.;  The  Marion  Steam  Shovel  Co.;  The  Bucyrus 
Co.;  F.  C.  Austin  Drainage  Excavator  Co.;  A.  N.  Cross;  American 
Steel  Dredge  Co.;  Norbom  Engineering  Co.;  Dix  Machine  Co.; 
Baker  Mfg.  Co.;  W.  G.  Gould;  W.  A.  Colt  &  Sons;  Avery  Co.;  The 
Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher  Co.;  St.  Paul  Machinery  Mfg.  Co.; 
Western  Wheeled  Scraper  Co.;  Austin  Mfg.  Co.;  T.  F.  Stroud  &  Co.; 
The  Barren  &  Cole  Co.;  The  Wilcox  Construction  Co.;  J.  D.  Adams 
&  Co.;  Clinton  Construction  Co.;  The  Beaver  Land  and  Irrigation 
Co.;  The  Electric  Journal;  Sawyer  &  Moulton;  American  Railway 
Engineering  Association;  Toledo  Foundry  and  Machine  Co.;  The 
Potter  Mfg.  Co.;  The  G.  W.  Parsons  Co.;  Lambert  Hoisting  Engine 
Co.;  Brown  Hoisting  Machinery  Co.;  John  B.  Heim;  S.  Flory  Mfg. 
Co.;  Monighan  Machine  Co.;  Lidgerwood  Manufacturing  Co.; 
American  Steel  Dredge  Co.;  Noble  E.  Whitford,  Res.  Engr.,  State 
of  New  York;  Mayer  Bros.  Co.;  Lathrop,  Shea  &  Kenwood  Co.;  and 
the  Sinaloa  Land  and  Water  Co. 

URBANA,  ILLINOIS,  A.  B.  McD. 

May,  1913. 

vii 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

PREFACE vii 

INTRODUCTION , ix 

PART  I. 

SCRAPERS,  GRADERS  AND  SHOVELS 

CHAPTER  I 

DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

ART.       i.      Slip  Scrapers i 

la.    Use  in  South  Dakota 3 

ib.    Use  in  Minnesota 3 

2.  Fresno  or  Buck  Scrapers 4 

2a.    Use  in  Colorado 5 

2b.    Use  in  California :f 5 

2c.    Use  in  Nevada 6 

3.  Wheel  Scrapers 8 

3a.    Use  in  Wyoming 10 

3b.    Use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal n 

3C.    Use  in  Pennsylvania 12 

3d.    Use  on  Railroad  Work 12 

4.  Maney  Four-wheel  Scraper 16 

4a.    Use  in  Oregon 17 

4b.    Use  in  Colorado " 17 

4C.    Use  in  Illinois .\ .18 

5.  Resume 20 

6.  Bibliography 21 

CHAPTER  II 
ROAD  OR  SCRAPING  GRADERS 

ART.       8.      General  Description 23 

9.      Two-wheel  Grader 23 

pa.    Use  in  Mississippi 24 

10.  Four-wheel  Grader 24 

loa.    Light  Wheel  Grader 25 

lob.    Standard  Wheel  Grader 25 

11.  Reclamation  Grader •.    .  25 

na.    Use  in  Iowa 27 

12.  Resume 29 

ix 


x  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  III 

ELEVATING  GRADERS 

PAGE 

ART.     13.      General  Description v  .....;..-..  30 

133.    Large  Elevating  Grader  .....    .... .    .  30 

i3b.    Standard  Elevating  Grader ...... 30 

130.    Small  Elevating  Grader .    .  30 

14.  Gasoline-Engine  Elevator  Drive.   .    . 31 

15.  Animal  Motive  Power  .   ...............'...  32 

1 6.  Traction  Engine  Motive  Power '.......  32 

17.  Use  of  Elevating  Grader  in  South  Dakota 33 

i7a.    Use  on  Reclamation  Service  Project ............  33 

1 8.  Use  of  Elevating  Grader  in  Nebraska  ..".'........  35 

19.  Use  in  Montana 35 

20.  Use  in  Minnesota 36 

21.  Use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal. 37 

22.  R6sume 37 

23.  Bibliography  .    . " .  38 

CHAPTER  IV 
CAPSTAN  PLOW 

ART.     24.      Complete  Outfit 40 

25.  Field  of  Work 40 

26.  General  Description 40 

26a.    The  Plow 40 

26b.    Size  of  Ditch 41 

26c.    Cost  of  Operation 41 

27.  Resume" 42 

CHAPTER  V 

STEAM  SHOVELS 

ART.     28.      Field  of  Work 43 

29.  Classification 43 

30.  Construction — First-class 45 

3ca.    Revolving  Shovels 51 

31.  Electric  Operation 54 

32.  Atlantic  Steam  Shovel 58 

33.  Otis-Chapman  Steam  Shovel 61 

34.  Operation 65 

35.  Cost  of  Operation 67 

35a.    Use  in  Southern  Texas 69 

3$b.    Sewer  Trench  Excavation  in  New  York 69 

35c.    Irrigation  Work  in  Utah 70 

3$d.    Use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal 71 

3$e.    Use  of  Electric  Power  Shovel  in  New  York .  76 

3$f.    Use  on  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  Ry.  near  Newcomb,  Montana 77 


CONTENTS  xi 

PAGE 

35g.    Use  in  Cleveland,  Ohio 79 

35h.    Use  for  Basement  Excavation  in  Chicago,  111 79 

351.     Use  in  Florida 80 

35J.     Use  in  Georgia 80 

35k.    Use  on  Railroad  Work  in  Illinois 81 

35!.     Use  in  Canal  Excavation,  Ontario,  Canada 83 

35m.  Use  in  Ontario,  Canada 84 

35n.    Use  in  Missouri. 85 

350.    Use  in  North  Dakota 86 

35p.    Use  on  Panama  Canal 87 

35r.     Use  in  South  Dakota 91 

353.    Use  in  Maine 94 

36.  Avery  Traction  Shovel  Outfit.   . 95 

36a.    Use  in  South  Dakota 96 

360.    Use  in  Illinois 96 

37.  Resume 97 

38.  Bibliography 98 

PART  II 

DREDGES 

INTRODUCTORY 101 

CHAPTER  VI 
DRY  LAND  EXCAVATORS 

ART.     40.      Classification .'   .    .    .   102 

A — SCRAPER  EXCAVATORS 

41.  Varieties 102 

42.  Traction  Excavator  with  Two  Booms  .    .  - — 102 

43.  Gopher  Ditching  Machine 103 

44.  Scraper  Bucket  Excavator 104 

45.  Typical  Operating  Cost 121 

45a.    Use  in  South  Dakota 122 

45b.    Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal 123 

45C.    Use  in  Florida 124 

45d.    Use  in  Nevada 125 

456.    Use  in  California 126 

45!.     Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal 129 

46.  Jacobs  Guided-line  Excavator .  130 

46a.      Use  in  Illinois 132 

47.  Locomotive  Crane  Excavator 133 

48.  Resum6 134 

49.  Bibliography 135 

B — TEMPLET  EXCAVATORS 

50.  Austin  Drainage  Excavators 136 


xii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

5oa.    Use  in  Illinois %   ............  138 

5ob.    Use  in  Colorado .'......«........  139 

500.    Use  in  Texas ...  140 

51.  Junkin  Ditcher ..../.                            ...  140 

52.  Resume" ...  143 

53.  Bibliography ...  143 

C— WHEEL  EXCAVATORS 

55.  Field  of  Work 144 

56.  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher  . 144 

57.  Austin  Wheel  Ditcher •.........'....  145 

58.  R6sum6 148 

D — TOWER  EXCAVATORS 

62.  Single  Tower  Excavators 150 

62a.    Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal 153 

63.  Double  Tower  Excavator ; 155 

64.  R6sum6 .    .  157 

E — WALKING  DREDGES 

68.  Field  of  Work 157 

69.  Description  of  Dredge      ......    4    .... 157 

70.  Operation  of  Dredge     . 161 

7oa.    Use  in  Minnesota 161 

7ob.    Use  in  Nebraska •....." , 161 

71.  R6sume ~^: .......  162 

CHAPTER  VII 
FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

75.  Classification     . ,*.... 163 

A — DIPPER  DREDGES 

76.  General  Description 163 

76a.    Use  in  Colorado 185 

76b     Use  in  Florida 187 

760.    Use  in  South  Dakota 187 

76d.    Use  in  Illinois 191 

76e.    Use  in  California 192 

76f.     Use  in  Louisiana   .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    ...   .    .    .    .    .  194 

77.  Resume \ 194 

78.  Bibliography 196 

B — LADDER  DREDGES 

80.  Field  of  Work 197 

81.  General  Description     » 198 

8 1 a.    Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal 202 


CONTENTS  xiii 

PAGE 

8ib.    Steel  Pontoon  Dredge,  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal 205 

8ic.    Use  on  Gran  Canal,  Mexico 208 

8id.    Use  in  Washington 211 

8ie.    Use  on  Fox  River,  Wisconsin  . 214 

82.      Resume 216 

84.  Lobnitz  Rock  Excavator 217 

85.  Drill  Boats 218 

85 a.    Use  on  St.  Lawrence  River,  Canada 219 

85b.    Use  in  New  York 220 

86.  Resume 221 

87.  Bibliography 221 

C — HYDRAULIC  OR  SUCTION  DREDGES 

90.  Field  of  Work ^    ......  224 

91.  General  Description 224 

9ia.    Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal    ..!...,....  230 

9ib.    Use  in  Chicago 236 

92.  Electric  Power  for  Operation      • .    '. 239 

92a.    Use  in  Washington —  r  •    .....  239 

93.  Resume 7~ 240 

94.  Bibliography 241 

CHAPTER  VIII 

TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

ART.     95.      Classification 245 

SECTION  i.   SEWER  AND  WATER  PIPE  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

96.  Classification .    .    .    .    .    .    ...    .  245 

A — TRAVELING  DERRICK 

97.  General  Description .  245 

97a.    Use  in  Indiana 252 

97b.    Use  in  Kentucky 253 

B — THE  CONTINUOUS  BUCKET  EXCAVATOR 

98.  Parsons  Traction  Trench  Excavator .  254 

98a.    Cost  of  Operation 257 

99.  Chicago  Trench  Excavator 258 

99a.    Use  in  Illinois .261 

100.  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher .  262 

looa.    Use  in  Colorado 262 

C— THE  TRESTLE  CABLE  EXCAVATOR 

101.  General  Description •    •  263 

loia.    Use  in  Connecticut  .                            •    •  27J 


xiv  CONTENTS 

D — THE  TOWER  CABLEWAY 

PAGE 

102.  General  Description 272 

103.  Carson-Lidgerwood  Cableway t   ......  272 

io3a.  Use  in  Washington,  D.  C.  . 276 

104.  S.  Flory  Cableway .    ,<•  ; 278 

E — THE  TRESTLE-TRACK  EXCAVATOR 

105.  General  Description     .- 278 

106.  Potter  Trench  Machine ...........    279 

io6a.    Use  in  Illinois 280 

SECTION  II.    TILE  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

no.  Field  of  Work 281 

in.  Buckeye  Tile  Ditcher  ..................  281 

ma.  Use  in  Minnesota 285 

i lib.  Use  in  Ohio 287 

inc.  Use  in  Iowa 288 

1 1  id.  Use  in  Kansas 288 

112.  Hovland  Tile  Ditcher  .    .    .    .-.:.•'.    . .    .  288 

ii2a.  Use  in  Minnesota 291 

113.  Austin  Tile  Ditcher      . 292 

114.  R6sum6 295 

115.  Bibliography ! 298 

CHAPTER  IX 

LEVEE  BUILDERS 

118.  Field  of  Work 299 

119.  Scrapers      299 

1 20.  Fresno  Scrapers  in  California Y  .    .    .  300 

121.  Dump  Cars  in  Massachusetts 300 

122.  Floating  Dipper  Dredge 300 

123.  Clam-shell  Dredge  in  California 300 

i23a.    Description  of  Dredge 301 

i23b.    Operation  of  Dredge 301 

124.  Dry  Land  Dredge  in  Louisiana 301 

i24a.    Operation  of  Dredge 302 

125.  Hydraulic  and  Ladder  Dredges 302 

126.  Hydraulic  Dredge  at  Cairo,  111 303 

127.  Austin  Levee  Builder .  303 

128.  Resume" 306 

129.  Bibliography 307 

CHAPTER  X 
THE  COMPARATIVE  USE  OF  EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 

132.  General  Considerations 308 

133.  Massena  Canal,  New  York 309 


CONTENTS  xv 

PAGE 

134.  The  Colbert  Shoals  Canal,  Alabama 31 1 

135.  State  Drainage  Work,  Minnesota 315 

136.  Bibliography      3I5 

APPENDIX  A 

General  Specifications  for  a  Modern  Steam  Shovel  for  Railway 
Construction      318 

APPENDIX  B 
Tests   of   the   Mississippi   River   Commission   for   Hydraulic 

Dredges 327 

INDEX ' 329 


INTRODUCTION 
SCOPE  AND  LIMITATIONS  OF  THIS  WORK 

As  its  title  indicates,  the  scope  of  this  book  is  to  describe  excavat- 
ing machinery  of  various  kinds  and  the  uses  for  which  it  is  devised. 
During  the  past  decade  the  development  of  reclamation  work  in 
the  western  and  southern  sections  of  the  country  by  private  enter- 
prise and  by  local,  state  and  national  governments,  has  awakened 
great  and  general  interest.  The  rapid  extension  and  improvement 
of  railroad  systems  and  the  expansion  of  great  cities  by  the  filling 
in  of  adjacent  waste  lands,  and  by  sanitary  and  other  municipal 
works,  have  called  for  the  use  of  the  most  efficient  machinery. 
Designers  and  builders  have  been  stimulated  by  this  demand  and 
many  marked  improvements  have  been  introduced  into  present-day 
machinery  for  these  purposes.  The  author  has  endeavored  to  de- 
scribe the  makes  and  types  of  excavators  commonly  used  in  all  classes 
of  work  except  marine  dredging.  He  has  not  attempted  to  describe 
or  even  mention  every  make  of  excavator,  but  every  type  has  been 
treated  in  sufficient  detail  to  give  a  clear  idea  of  its  construction 
and  field  of  work. 

The  author  has  been  impressed  by  the  careless  methods  used  in 
the  construction  and  repair  of  excavators.  A  new  machine  is  built 
more  in  accordance  with  the  forms  of  previous  ones  of  the  same  class, 
rather  than  in  accordance  with  the  demands  of  the  particular  piece 
of  work  to  which  it  is  to  be  applied.  Rule  of  thumb  methods  are 
used  instead  of  original  design.  In  making  repairs,  it  is  the  gen- 
eral custom  to  replace  the  broken  parts  with  new  ones  exactly  like 
the  old  ones,  or  after  repeated  breaks,  to  make  the  weak  member  a 
little  stronger.  This  is  often  blind  guesswork,  and  is  expensive 
both  to  the  contractor  and  the  owner  and  should  be  replaced  by 
scientific  study  and  accurate  workmanship. 

The  cost  data  given  have  been  gathered  at  the  expense  of  much 
time  and  labor  from  a  great  variety  of  sources.  They  are  not  in- 
tended to  be  an  arbitrary  guide  for  the  use  of  any  type  of  excavator  in 
any  stated  class  of  work.  The  conditions  and  circumstances  attend- 
ing work  of  this  character  are  so  variable  and  there  are  usually  so 
many  unforeseen  factors  which  may  affect  the  progress  of  a  job, 

xvii 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

that  information  of  this  kind  can  only  be  suggestive.  However,  the 
author  does  not  agree  with  those  who  make  the  sweeping  statement 
that  all  cost  data  are  valueless,  or  with  others  who  state  that  such 
records  are  of  worth  only  to  those  who  have  actually  made  them  up 
from  experience.  It  must  be  kept  in  mind  that  cost  data  relating 
to  the  operation  of  excavating  machinery  not  only  depend  on  and 
vary  with  the  conditions  and  circumstances  attending  each  piece  of 
work,  such  as  soil,  topography  and  climate,  but  also  largely  upon  the 
efficiency  with  which  the  excavator  is  operated.  The  author  knows 
of  many  cases  where  the  contractor  has  lost  money  on  account  of  in- 
competent and  unreliable  operators.  However,  it  is  here  assumed, 
as  in  the  operation  of  any  type  of  machinery,  that  such  labor  is 
employed  as  will  secure  average  results.  The  cost  data  given  in 
this  book  have  been  quoted,  as  far  as  possible,  from  operations  under 
normal  working  conditions.  -  In  using  the  cost  data  given,  the  engi- 
neer and  the  contractor  are  advised  to  consider  thoroughly  the  pecul- 
iar conditions  attending  the  work.  The  author  has  been  surprised, 
from  practical  experience  and  in  the  preparation  of  this  book,  to 
find  that  so  few  contractors  and  engineers  keep  complete,  systematic 
and  accurate  financial  records  of  their  business.  In  the  contractor's 
office  the  clerk  usually  gathers  together  the  checks  and  receipted 
bills  and  makes  a  rough  computation  of  the  cost  of  the  work.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  average  engineer  lays  out  a  piece  of  work  and 
superintends  its  construction,  but  does  not  give  close  attention  to  its 
cost,  losing  thereby  valuable  data  for  future  use.  This  will  probably 
account  for  the  incompleteness  of  some  of  the  information  of  this 
character  given  in  this  book.  Every  engineer  and  contractor  should 
keep  accurate  and  complete  records  of  the  costs  of  their  work,  cover- 
ing all  the  details  in  systematic  order. 

This  book  is  offered  in  the  spirit  of  an  eminent  philosopher  who 
said,  "I  hold  every  man  a  debtor  to  his  profession;  from  the  which, 
as  men  of  course  do  seek  to  receive  countenance  and  profit,  so  ought 
they  of  duty  to  endeavor  themselves  by  way  of  amends  to  be  a  help 
and  ornament  thereunto." 


PART  I 
SCRAPERS,  GRADERS  AND  SHOVELS 


EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 

CHAPTER  I 
DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

i.  Slip  Scrapers. — Where  small  open  shallow  ditches,  with  bot- 
tom widths  of  not  less  than  3  ft.,  such  as  road  ditches,  are  to  be  con- 
structed, drag  or  slip  scrapers  are  used.  The  drag  scraper  is  a  steel 
scoop  with  a  round  back  and  curved  bottom.  The  latter  is  either 
provided  with  runners  or  reinforced  with  a  sheet  of  hard  steel,  known 
as  a  " double  bottom."  Wooden  handles  are  attached  to  either 
side  near  the  rear  of  the  scoop  and  are  used  by  the  driver  in  handling 
it.  A  heavy  bail  serves  for  the  purpose  of  attaching  a  team  of 
horses  to  the  scoop.  The  following  table  gives  the  description  and 
cost  of  the  various  sizes  of  the  ordinary  drag  scraper: 

No.  i,  with  runners,  capacity  7    cu.  ft.,  weight    95  lb.,  cost  $4.50 

No.  2,  with  runners,  capacity  5    cu.  ft.,  weight    85  lb.,  cost    4.25 

No.  3,  with  runners,  capacity  3!  cu.  ft.,  weight    75  lb.,  cost    4.00 

No.  i,  with  double  bottom,  capacity  7    cu.  ft.,  weight  100  lb.,  cost    5.00 

No.  2,  with  double  bottom,  capacity  5    cu.  ft.,  weight    90  lb.,  cost    4.75 

The  scrapers  will  not  excavate  and  carry  to  the  spoil  bank  an 
amount  equal  to  the  capacities  given  above.  Rarely  does  a  scraper 
go  out  of  the  excavation  full  and  the  material  which  it  does  contain 
is  loose  soil,  which  has  generally  been  previously  ploughed.  Author- 
ities agree  that  at  least  25  per  cent,  should  be  allowed  for  the  shrink- 
age of  the  loose  material  when  compacted  in  an  embankment. 

When  the  soil  is  sand,  loose  gravel,  friable  loam,  or  soft  clay,  the 
material  can  be  excavated  directly  by  the  scraper.  For  harder  and 
more  compact  soils  a  plow  must  first  be  used.  A  two-horse  plow 
with  driver  will  loosen  about  400  cu.  yd.  of  average  soil  per  lo-hour 
day.  If  the  material  is  a  tough  earth  crust,  a  dense  gumbo  or  hard 
clay,  the  daily  output  with  a  four-horse  team  and  three  men  will  be 
from  150  to  200  cu.  yd.  The  following  table  gives  the  cost  of 
plowing  per  lo-hour  working  day,  under  average  conditions. 

1 


2  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

Labor: 

Team,  plow,  and  driver,  $3 . 50 

Plow  holder,  i .  50 

Total  labor  cost,  $5 .  oo 

Repairs,  depreciation,  etc.,  i.oo 

Total  cost,  $6.00 

Total  amount  of  material  loosened,  400  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  loosening  material;  $6 .00-7-400  =  i£  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

For  the  excavation  of  hard  soil,  the  cost  of  plowing  per  lo-hour 
day,  would  be  as  follows: 

Labor: 

Team,  plow,  and  driver,  $3 . 50 

Plow  holder,  i .  50 

Beam  rider,  i .  50 

Total  labor  cost,  $6 .  50 

Repairs,  depreciation,  etc.,  1.50 

Total  cost,  $8 .  oo 

Total  amount  of  material  loosened,  200  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  loosening  material;  $8.00-7-200  =  4  cents  per  cubic  yard. 


The  reader  is  referred  to  the  excellent  discussion  of  the  cost  of 
moving  earth  with  the  drag-scoop  scraper,  in  Professor  Ira  O. 
Baker's  " Roads  and  Pavements,"  pages  114  to  116. 

The  author  offers  the  following  rule,  which  he  has  found  to  work 
well  in  practice. 

For  5o-ft.  hauls  or  less  the  cost  of  moving  i  cu.  yd.  of  earth  will  be 
10  cents.  For  each  additional  50  ft.  of  haul  add  2  cents.  When 
the  soil  is  hard,  add  3  cents  to  the  figures  derived  from  the  above 
rule,  which  applies  only  to  average  soils. 

Drag  scrapers  are  very  efficient  up  to  hauls  of  100  ft.  and  can 
be  satisfactorily  used  to  2oo-ft.  hauls.  A  two-horse  team  and 
scraper  can  move,  in  a  lo-hour  working  day,  the  following  average 
amounts  of  loose  material: 

For  a  haul  of    25  ft.,  70  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of    50  ft.,  60  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of  100  ft.,  50  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of  150  ft.,  40  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of  200  ft.,  35  cu.  yd. 


SLIP  SCRAPERS  3 

Drag  scrapers  should  be  worked  in  groups  of  from  4  to  10, 
depending  upon  the  size  of  the  job. 

Figures  i,  2,  and  3  show  the  front  view  and  the  rear  views  of  a 
well-known  make  of  drag  scraper. 

ia.  Use  in  South  Dakota. — These  simple  drag  scrapers  were 
used  by  farmers  in  the  construction  of  a  long  road  ditch  in  Clay 
County,  South  Dakota.  The  ditch  had  a  bottom  width  varying 
from  3  to  6  ft.  and  a  depth  varying  from  30  in.  to  4  ft.  The  side 
slopes  were  J  to  i  on  the  outside  and  about  ij  to  i  on  the  inside  of 
the  road.  The  work  was  voluntarily  and  cooperatively  done,  and 
each  farmer  furnished  his  team  and  worked  a  scraper.  The  average 
excavation  was  about  40  cu.  yd.  per  scraper  per  day.  The  work 
was  done  under  the  supervision  of  the  writer  and  a  fairly  true  and 
uniform  ditch  was  excavated. 


Front  View  of  Drag  Scraper. 
Figure  i. 

ib.  Use  in  Minnesota. — On  the  experimental  farm  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Minnesota  at  Crookston,  Minn.,  some  open  ditches,  having 
a  bottom  width  of  3  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  on  ij,  were  constructed 
with  drag  scrapers.  The  contractor's  men  averaged  41  to  43^  cu. 
yd.  per  scraper  per  day,  while  the  sub-contractors,  using  two  teams 
and  three  men,  averaged  50  cu.  yd.  per  team  per  day.  One  man 
with  his  team  averaged  60  cu.  yd.  per  day  for  six  days  and  65  cu. 
yd.  per  day  for  10  days.  On  this  work  much  difficulty  was  ex- 
perienced in  excavating  in  soft,  wet  soil,  as  the  adhesiveness  of  the 
sticky  loam  and  clay  impeded  the  scrapers.  In  general,  it  will  be 
found  that  drag  scrapers  can  only  be  used  economically  in  fairly 


DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 


dry  soil  and  where  the  ditches  are  broad,  shallow,  and  with  slight 
side  slopes. 

2.  Fresno  Scrapers. — The  Fresno  or  Buck  scraper,  on  account 
of  its  long  straight  cutting  edge  and  narrow  width  is  especially 
useful  and  efficient  in  the  construction  of  shallow  ditches.  It  will 
remove  a  thin  layer  of  earth  and  spread  it  out  over  a  wide  area  on 
a  road  grade  or  spoil  bank.  This  style  of  drag  scraper  has  proved 
of  great  value  in  the  construction  of  irrigation  ditches  and  could 


Rear  View  of  Drag  Scraper  with 
Double  Bottom. 
Figure  2. 


Rear  View  of  Drag  Scraper  with 
Runners. 
Figure  3. 


be  equally  serviceable  in  the  excavation  of  drainage  ditches  under 
favorable  conditions.  The  accompanying  figures  illustrate  the 
Fresno  scraper  and  the  following  table  gives  the  various  sizes, 
capacities,  weights,  and  costs  of  a  typical  make: 

No.  i,  5-ft.  cutting  edge,  capacity  18  cu.  ft.,  approx- 
imate weight  316  Ib.  $27.00 
No.  2,  4-ft.  cutting  edge,  capacity  14  cu.  ft.,  approx- 
imate weight  260  Ib.  25. 50 
.No.  3, 3^-ft.  cutting  edge,  capacity  12  cu.  ft.,  approx- 
imate weight  245  Ib.  22.50 


FRESNO  SCRAPERS  5 

The  Fresno  scraper  is  usually  operated  on  large  work  in  groups  of 
2  to  10,  with  a  driver  for  each  scraper  and  a  laborer  to  load  for  the 
group.  In  light  ditch  work,  the  scrapers  run  independently  and  each 
driver  loads  his  own  scraper. 

The  economical  haul  of  a  Fresno  is  generally  limited  to  300  ft. 
It  requires  less  time  to  load  and  unload  this  type  of  scraper  than  it 
does  a  two-horse  wheeler,  but  the  expense  of  the  two  extra  horses  on 
a  four-horse  Fresno  balances  these  items  when  the  haul  exceeds 
300  ft. 

For  side-hill  work  the  Fresno  scraper  is  especially  advantageous 
as  it  will  often  push  ahead  of  itself  a  large  amount  of  loose  material. 


Buck  Scraper  ready  to  Load.  Buck  Scraper,  Dumped. 

Figure  4.  Figure  5. 

2a.  Use  in  Colorado. — In  the  excavation  of  a  ditch  in  eastern 
Colorado,  having  a  6-ft.  bottom  width,  average  depth  of  7  ft.,  and 
side  slopes  of  ij  to  i,  a  No.  i  drag  scraper  or  "slip"  moved  by  a  team 
excavated  from  30  to  75  yd.,  or  an  average  of  50  cu.  yd.  of  earth 
(sandy  loam),  in  a  working  day  of  10  hours.  A  No.  i  "Fresno" 
scraper,  moved  by  four  horses  under  the  same  conditions  and  on  the 
same  work,  excavated  from  50  to  175  cu.  yd.  or  an  average  of  no 
cu.  yd.  in  the  same  time.  The  excavation  cost  10  cents  per  cubic 
yard.  This  example  shows  the  superiority  and  greater  capacity  of 
the  Fresno  scraper  in  this  class  of  earthwork. 

2b.  Use  in  California. — During  1884  levees  were  constructed 
along  the  Feather  and  Sacramento  Rivers,  Sutter  County,  Cali- 
fornia, by  the  use  of  drag  and  buck  scrapers. 

"The  levees  were  about  12  ft.  high,  6  ft.  wide  on  top,  90  ft.  wide  at  base 
with  front  slope  of  i  in  3,  and  rear  slope  of  i  in  4.  Material  was  borrowed 
from  both  sides  for  a  distance  of  100  ft.  from  the  toe  of  the  slope;  and  buck 


6  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

scrapers  drawn  by  four  horses  were  used  to  move  the  earth  which  was  not 
rolled.  A  buck  scraper  'drifted'  or  pushed  to  place  up  a  i  to  4  slope, 
about  90  cu.  yd.  per  day."1 

The  material  moved  was  a  sandy  loam  with  adobe  in  places.  The 
"lead"  was  about  70  ft.  and  buck  scrapers  moved  the  first  70,000 
cu.  yd.  at  the  rate  of  55  cu.  yd.  per  day,  per  scraper.  The  next 
294,000  cu.  yd.  was  moved  at  the  rate  of  90 \  cu.  yd.  per  scraper  per 
day.  The  cost  of  earthwork,  during  the  first  month,  when  the  levee 
embankments  were  low  was  about  10  cents  per  cubic  yard,  while  the 
second  month,  when  the  embankments  were  higher,  the  cost  of 
earthwork  rose  to  1 2  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

2C.  Use  in  Nevada.2 — The  Reclamation  Service  used  the  Fresno 
scraper  in  the  construction  of  an  irrigation  canal  near  Fallon,  Nevada, 
during  April,  May  and  June,  1906.  The  soil  excavated  was  princi- 
pally a  compact  sand,  with  some  gravel,  loam  and  sub-soil  of  hard 
clay  in  places.  The  ditch  had  an  average  bottom  width  of  20  ft. 
and  side  slopes  of  2  to  i.  The  spoil  bank  was  made  6  to  12  ft.  wide 
on  top  and  with  an  average  height  above  grade  of  7 \  ft.  The  canal 
was  generally  located  along  a  comparatively  even  side  hill,  although 
in  places  material  from  cuts  as  deep  as  20  ft.,  was  wasted  beyond  a 
5o-ft.  berm  or  hauled  200  to  300  ft.  to  reinforce  the  banks  along 
adjacent  depressions. 

The  berms  were  first  plowed  and  the  entire  right-of-way  cleared 
of  brush  before  the  excavation  of  the  canal  was  begun.  It  was 
excavated  truly  to  grade  and  the  side  slopes  carefully  trimmed. 
The  length  of  the  working  day  was  eight  hours.  Following  is  a 
table  giving  the  labor  costs  on  this  work. 

A  very  good  illustration  of  the  efficiency  of  Fresno  scrapers  in 
the  excavation  of  ditches  is  given  in  the  following  example. 

The  ditch  was  for  irrigation,  having  an  average  depth  of  6  to  *]\  ft. 
and  side  slopes  2  to  i.  The  excavated  material  generally  formed  the 
banks.  The  soil  excavated  was  a  sandy  loam. 

The  working  force  was  made  up  of  10  to  12  Fresno  scrapers  and  a 
two-horse  plow  which  loosened  up  the  earth  for  the  scrapers.  Each 
scraper  worked  continuously  back  and  forth,  down  one  bank  and  up 
the  other.  Each  driver  loaded  and  dumped  his  own  scraper.  One 
finishing  scraper  was  used  to  trim  up  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the 

1  Compiled  from  an  account  in  "Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,"  by  H.  P.  Gillette. 

2  Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  Nov.  3,  1909. 


COST  OF  FRESNO  SCRAPER  WORK 


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8  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

ditch.     The  men  were  paid  $2.25  for  an  eight-hour  Vorking  day. 
The  following  table  gives  the  working  eost  per  scraper  per  day. 

Labor: 

Four  horses,  Fresno  and  driver,  $5.30 

One-tenth  of  two-horse  plow  and  driver  @  $3.95,  0.395 

One-tenth  of  loader,  o.  225 

One-tenth  of  foreman  @  $4,  0.40 

Total,  $6.32 

Average  excavation  per  scraper  per  day,  125  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard;  $6.3 2  -f-  125=          5.06  cents. 

3.  Wheel  Scrapers. — The  wheel  scraper  consists  of  a  steel  box 
mounted  on  a  single  pair  of  wheels  and  supplied  with  levers  so  that 
the  box  may  be  raised,  lowered  and  dumped,  all  with  the  team 
and  scraper  in  motion.  An  automatic  end  gate  is  sometimes  attached 
to  the  front  of  the  pan,  and  is  especially  useful  in  carrying  a  load 
down  a  steep  grade. 

Figures  6  and  7  show  two  positions  of  the  scraper  and  the  follow- 


Wheel  Scraper,  ready  to  Load. 
Figure  6. 

ing  table  gives  the  various  sizes,  capacities,  weights  and  costs  of  a 
well-known  make: 

No.  i,    capacity  10  cu.  ft.,  weight  450  lb.,  $45.00 

No.  2,    capacity  13  cu.  ft.,  weight  690  lb.,  52-5° 

No.  25,  capacity  15  cu.  ft.,  weight  700  lb., 

made  to  order. 
No.  3,  capacity  17  cu.  ft.,  weight  850  lb.,  60.00 

The  wheel  scraper  is  an  excellent  earth  mover  up  to  a  haul  of 


WHEEL  SCRAPERS 


9 


about  800  ft.  It  is  more  efficient  than  the  drag  scraper  for  hauls 
over  200  ft.  The  No.  3  wheeler  requires  the  use  of  a  snatch  team 
in  ordinary  material  and  a  No.  2  in  hard  material,  and  for  long 
hauls  this  size  of  scraper  is  the  most  economical.  For  average  soil 
and  hauls  not  greater  than  400  ft.,  the  No.  2  wheeler  is  the  most 
efficient.  The  average  load  (place  measure)  carried  by  the  wheelers 
is  as  follows:  No.  i,  \  cu.  yd.;  No.  2,  J  cu.  yd.;  and  No.  3,  J  cu.  yd. 

As  in  the  case  of  the  drag  scrapers,  the  wheeler  never  leaves  the 
excavation  filled  to  its  rated  capacity.  For  long  hauls  and  where 
the  material  is  tough  and  hard  to  handle,  it  is  economical  to  use 


Wheel  Scraper,  Returning  to  Pit. 
Figure  7. 

shovelers  to  heap  up  the  bowls  of  the  scrapers,  before  the  teams 
start. 

For  an  excellent  discussion  of  the  cost  of  moving  earth  with  wheel 
scrapers,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Prof.  Ira  O.  Baker's  book  entitled 
"Roads  and  Pavements,"  pages  117  to  120. 

The  author  offers  the  following  rule,  which  he  has  made  up  as  a 
result  of  his  experience  and  observation. 

For  loo-ft.  hauls  or  less  the  cost  of  moving  i  cu.  yd.  of  earth  will 
be  10  cents.  For  each  additional  100  ft.  of  haul  add  2  cents.  When 


10  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

the  soil  is  hard  add  3  cents  to  the  figures  given  by  the  above  rule, 
which  applies  only  to  average  soils. 

A  two-horse  team  and  scraper  can  move,  in  a  lo-hour  working 
day,  the  following  average  amounts  of  loose  material : 

For  a  haul  of  100  ft.,  60  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of  200  ft.,  50  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of  300  ft.,  40  cu.  yd. 

For  a  haul  of  400  ft.,  30  cu.  yd. 

The  wheel  scrapers  should  work  in  gangs  of  from  four  to  six  for 
hauls  up  to  400  ft.  and  in  gangs  of  from  eight  to  twelve  for  longer 
hauls. 

3a.  Use  in  Wyoming.1 — The  construction  of  the  Whalen  Dike, 
on  the  North  Platte  Project  of  the  Reclamation  Service,  near 
Whalen,  Wyoming,  is  a  good  example  of  the  use  of  scrapers  in  dike 
construction. 

The  work  was  done  from  October,  1908,  to  January,  1909,  under 
favorable  climatic  and  labor  conditions.  The  material  excavated 
was  a  sandy  loam,  which  was  easily  plowed  and  scraped.  The 
material  for  the  main  dike,  amounting  to  22,598  cu.  yd.,  was  taken 
from  a  borrow  pit  above  the  dam  with  an  average  haul  of  600  ft. 
Two-horse  wheel  scrapers  and  four-horse  Maney  scrapers  were 
used  in  this  work.  The  back-filling  for  the  Fort  Laramie  headworks, 
amounting  to  4,550  cu.  yd.,  was  taken  from  a  borrow  pit  below  the 
dam  at  an  average  haul  of  1,000  ft.  Two-wheel  scrapers  were  used 
in  this  work. 

The  labor  schedule  for  this  work  is  as  follows : 

Foreman,  $4 .  oo    per  day. 

Teamsters,  o.  22^  per  hour. 

Loaders  and  dumpers,  o.  25    per  hour. 

Teams,  2 .  oo    per  day. 

Labor: 

Unit  cost  Unit  cost 

Distribution,  Dike  22,598  cu.  yd.      Backfilling  4,550  cu.  yd. 

Foreman,  $0.014  $0.030 

General  work,  0.014  0.017 

Hauling,  0.124  0.181 

Plowing,  0.017  0.044 

Snap  team  and  driver,  0.027  0.036 

Loading  and  placing,  0.029  °-°57 

Total  labor,  $0.225  $0.365 

Supplies,                                            0.002  0.007 

Blacksmithing,                                 o.ooi  .  o.oio 

Total  unit  cost,                      $0.228  $0.382 
1  Abstracted  from  Reclamation  Record,  March,  1909. 


WHEEL  SCRAPERS 


11 


3b.  Use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal. — The  following  data  give 
the  cost  of  excavation  work  on  the  Chicago  Drainage  Canal,  refer- 
ring to  those  sections  where  wheeled  scrapers  were  used. 

"The  soil  moved  by  wheelers  was  a  'fairly  soft  clayey  loam'  and  the 
average  haul  was  about  400  ft.,  the  material  being  deposited  in  spoil 
banks. 

"On  the  Brighton  Division,  Section  K,  68,300  cu.  yd.  were  moved  in 
62  days,  the  average  force  being  23.8  men  and  36.8  teams  with  drivers. 
There  were  two  plows  and  24  No.  3  wheelers  in  use,  hence  each  plow 
loosened  550  cu.  yd.,  and  each  wheeler  moved  46.1  cu.  yd.  per  lo-hour 
day,  while  the  average  output,  including  snatch  teams  of  which  there 
appear  to  have  been  one  for  every  three  wheelers,  and  including  plow 
teams,  was  about  30  cu.  yd.  per  day  per  team. 

"For  Summit  Division,  Section  E,  the  haul  was  400  ft.  The  number  of 
men  engaged  is  not  given,  but  we  have  assumed  two-thirds  man  per  team, 
which  is  not  far  from  right." 


TABLE   II 
AMOUNTS  AND  COST  OF  WHEEL  SCRAPER  WORK 


Daily 

Average 

Total 

average, 

Ratio  of  teams 

Cost, 

excava- 

cubic  yards 

cents 

Stations 

Fill 
ft. 

Cut 

ft. 

cubic 
yards 

Per 

team 

Per 
Whir. 

Wheelers 
to  plows 

Wheelers 
to  team 

per 
cubic 
yard 

i) 

460-470 

12 

8.0 

94,879 

29.8 

42.2 

s*-i 

4i4o-i 

iS-i 

(2) 

470-480 

12 

8.3 

98,515 

27.1 

39-3 

4i90-i 

4*-i 

16.6 

00 

480-490 

II 

7.0 

85,76i 

24.4 

35-2 

4/0-1 

4/o-t 

18.4 

(2) 

490-500 

7 

3-4 

33,i85 

3S-o 

50.1 

4iVi 

4iVi 

12.9 

(3) 

500-507 

7 

4-3 

29,678 

28.3 

42.1 

4/0-1 

3iV-i 

iS-9 

(4) 

(i)  Assuming  two-thirds  man  per  team. 

Material:  (2)  Very  stiff  blue  and  yellow  clay  with  a  few  large  boulders. 

(3)  Loamy  clay. 

(4)  Stiff  clay. 

"The  table  shows  that  there  were  about  five  wheelers  to  each  plow, 
hence  each  plow  team  must  have  loosened  about  200  cu.  yd.  in  10  hours, 
the  hardest  section  being  from  Sta.  480  to  Sta.  490,  where  168  cu.  yd, 
were  the  average  per  plow  team  per  day.  Doubtless  two  teams  were 
worked  on  each  plow.  One  snatch  team  to  every  4.4  wheelers  appears 
to  have  been  the  average,  or  each  snatch  team  loaded  about  175  cu.  yd. 
a  day  at  a  cost  of  2  cents  per  cubic  yard."1 

1  From  "Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,"  by  H.  P.  Gillette. 


12 


DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 


30.  Use  in  Pennsylvania.1 — About  8,000  cu.  yd.  of  earth  were 
moved  with  wheel  scrapers,  near  Homewood,  Pa.,  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  siding  for  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  No.  3  Western 
wheel  scrapers  were  used,  and  the  earth  was  entirely  excavated  from 
borrow  pits,  with  hauls  ranging  from  150  ft.  to  450  ft.  with  an 
average  haul  of  350  ft.  The  following  is  the  labor  schedule  based 
on  a  lo-hour  working  day: 


i  three-horse  snap  team, 
i  three-horse  plow  team, 

1  foreman, 

2  scraper  loaders,  @  $i .  75, 
i  dumpman, 

i  two-horse  scraper  team, 


$3-50 
7-50 
3.00 
3-50 
i-75 
5.00 


The  table  below  gives  the  cost  of  this  work  for  a  period  of  eight 
days. 

TABLE   III 
COST  OF  WHEEL  SCRAPER  WORK 


Date 

Weather 

Number 
of 

Total 
cubic 

Average 
load 

Total 

Cost 
per 

scraper 
loads 

yards 

cu.  yd. 

cost 

cu.  yd 

1906 

. 

Sept.  ii  .. 

Fair 

7^2 

141 

O    4OI 

$38  07 

$o  270 

Sept.  21.  . 

Wet  and  muddy. 

352 

141 

O.4OI 

38.07 

o.  270 

Sept.  22.  . 

Wet  and  muddy. 

576 

230 

0-399 

60.  70 

0.263 

Sept.  24 

Fair 

C72 

220 

O    4OI 

qo    84 

O    222 

Sept.  25.  . 

Fair  

528 

211 

O    309 

eg.  74 

0.283 

Sept.  26.  . 

Fair  

c;8o 

232 

o  400 

q6  04 

o  241 

Sept.  27. 

Fair 

473 

189 

O    300 

44    O7 

O    2  3  3 

Sept.  28.  . 

Fair  

473 

189 

0-399 

57-18 

0.302 

Totals  . 

7    QO6 

I   *\62 

$404    7  I 

Averages  

0-39975 

$o.26s2 

3d.  Use  on  Railroad  Work. — One  of  the  editors  of  Engineering- 
Contracting  in  the  issues  of  September  4  and  25,  1907,  gives  very 
instructive  accounts  of  the  use  of  the  wheel  scraper  in  the  construc- 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  July  17,  1907. 

2  This  is  the  average  of  the  eight  items  of  the  last  column.     The  average 
obtained  by  dividing  $404.  71  by  1562  is  $o.  258.     The  figures  for  "Total  Cubic 
Yards"  in  the  fourth  column  were  obtained  by  multiplying  the  "Number  of 
Scraper  Load"  in  each  case  by  4  cu.  yd.     This  is  assuming  that  the  No.  3  scraper 
contains  an  average  load  (place  measure)  of  0.4  cu.  yd. 


WHEEL  SCRAPERS  13 

tion  of  railroad  grades.  The  following  abstract  is  made  to  show 
the  reader  the  increase  of  cost  of  excavation  with  the  length  of  lead 
and  one  case  where  with  long  lead  the  cost  was  lower  than  for 
shorter  leads  in  the  other  cases. 

The  labor  schedule  for  all  of  the  work  based  on  a  ic-hour  working 
day,  was  as  follows: 

Foreman,  $3 .  oo 

Extra  foreman,  2 . 50 

Scraper  team  and  driver,  4.  75 

Four-horse  plow  team  and  two  men,  9 .  20 

Three-horse  snatch  team  and  one  man,  6 .  oo 

Three-horse  plow  team  and  two  men,  7. 50 

Two-horse  snatch  team  and  one  man,  4.60 

Loaders,  i .  60 

Laborers,  i .  50 

Water  boy,  i .  oo 

A  four-horse  plow  team  was  used  to  loosen  the  earth  and  in  Case 
V,  a  three-horse  team  was  used  when  sand  was  encountered.  A 
three-horse  snatch  team  was  used  in  loading  the  scrapers  and  in 
Case  V,  a  two-horse  team  was  used  in  sandy  soil.  The  wheel 
scrapers  were  all  No.  2\  with  a  capacity  of  about  \  cu.  yd.,  place 
measurement.  Two  men  loaded  and  dumped  each  scraper,  except 
in  Case  I.  The  work  was  done  in  the  fall  of  the  year  when  climatic 
conditions  were  favorable  for  grading  work. 

Case  I. — The  material  moved  in  this  case  was  a  sandy  loam, 
which  was  easily  plowed  and  scraped  up.  The  lead  was  260  ft., 
making  a  round  trip  of  600  ft.  for  each  team  and  a  total  distance  per 
day  for  each  scraper  of  about  1 2  miles.  Five  scrapers  were  worked 
together  on  this  job.  The  average  amount  of  earth  moved  per  10- 
hour  day  was  34  cu.  yd.  for  each  scraper  and  31  cu.  yd.  for  each 
team  employed. 

The  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard  of  earth  moved  is  given 
below: 

Foreman,  $0.017 

Scrapers,  0.138 

Plowing,  0.052 

Snatching,  0.034 

Loaders,  0.018 

Dumping,  0.008 

Water  boy,  0.006 


Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  $o. 273 


14  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

Case  II. — The  material  excavated  on  this  work  was  an  average 
clay,  fairly  easy  to  handle.  The  lead  was  300  ft.,  a  round  trip  of 
700  ft.  for  each  team  and  a  total  distance  per  day  for  each  scraper 
of  about  12  miles  were  made.  Five  scrapers  were  used  together. 
The  average  amount  of  earth  moved  during  a  lo-hour  day  was  30 
cu.  yd.  for  each  scraper  and  19  cu.  yd.  for  each  team  employed. 

The  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard  of  earth  moved  is  given 
below: 

Foreman,  $0.019 

Scrapers,  0.158 

Plowing,  °-°57 

Snatching,  o .  03  7 

Loaders,  0.020 

Dumping,  0.016 

Water  boy,  o .  004 


Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  $0.311 

Case  III. — The  material  on  this  work  was  a  wet  clay,  saturated 
with  water  from  recent  rains  and  local  springs.  The  lead  was  400  ft., 
making  a  round  trip  of  1,000  ft.  for  each  team  and  a  total  distance 
traveled  per  day  of  \2\  miles.  Five  scrapers  were  used  in  a  gang  as 
in  the  previous  cases.  The  embankment  was  made  on  marshy  land 
and  the  services  of  an  extra  laborer  were  required  to  shovel  earth 
ahead  of  the  teams.  The  average  amount  of  earth  moved  was  22 
cu.  yd.  for  each  scraper  and  13  cu.  yd.  for  each  team  employed. 

The  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard  of  earth  moved  is  given 
below: 

Foreman,  $0.026 

Scrapers,  0.216 

Plowing,  o .  080 

Snatching,  0.052 

Loaders,  0.028 

Dumping,  0.039 

Water  boy,  o .  009 


Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  $o .  450 

Case  IV. — The  material  excavated  on  this  work  was  a  fine  sand 
which  retarded  the  work  by  allowing  the  wheels  of  the  scrapers  to  sink 
below  the  surface  until  the  bottoms  of  the  bowls  touched.  The  lead 
was  500  ft.,  making  a  round  trip  of  1,000  ft.  for  each  team  and  a 
total  distance  traveled  per  day  of  12^  miles.  Six  scrapers  were 
worked  in  a  gang.  The  average  amount  of  earth  moved  was  21^ 
cu.  yd.  for  each  scraper  and  13  cu.  yd.  for  each  team  employed. 


WHEEL  SCRAPERS  15 

The  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard  of  earth  moved  is  given 
below: 

Foreman,  $o .  024 

Scrapeis,  0.222 

Plowing,  0.073 

Snatching,  0.050 

Loaders,  0.026 

Dumping,  0.027 

Water  boy,  o .  008 


Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  $o .  430 

Case  V. — The  material  was  a  light  red  clay  and  sandy  loam  run- 
ning into  sand  in  the  bottom  of  the  cut.  The  cut  required  the  ex- 
cavation of  2,000  cu.  yd.  The  lead  was  700  ft.  and  the  total  dis- 
tance  traveled  per  day  by  each  team  was  6  miles.  The  embank- 
ment was  made  over  a  tide- water  marsh,  and  in  many  places  the 
surface  would  not  support  a  man.  There  brush  was  placed  to  form 
a  matting.  Four  men  were  employed  to  shovel  earth  ahead  of  the 
wheelers. 

On  one  side  of  the  cut  was  a  bluff  about  15  ft.  high,  where  the 
scrapers  could  not  be  used.  A  gang  of  extra  laborers  with  a  foreman 
pulled  this  bank  down  with  pick  and  shovel  and  it  was  removed  by 
the  scrapers.  The  average  amount  of  earth  moved  was  23  cu.  yd. 
for  each  scraper  and  15^  cu.  yd.  for  each  team  employed. 

The  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard  of  earth  moved  is  as  follows : 

Foreman,  $0.02 

Scrapers,  0.21 

Plowing,  0.053 

Snatching,  0.03 

Loaders,  0.02 

Dumping,  0.033 

Water  boy,  o.ooi 


Total  cost  of  scraper  work,  $0.367 

Tearing  down  bank: 

Foreman,  $o .  006 

Extra  laborers,  0.066 


Total,  $0.072 

Total  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  $0.439 

The  following  table  has  been  compiled  from  the  above  data  to 
show  the  effect  of  the  lead,  soil  conditions,  etc.,  upon  the  efficiency  of 
the  work. 


16 


DRAG  AXD  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 


TABLE   IV 
EFFECT  OF  LEAD  AND  SOIL  UPON  COST 


1 

Case 

Lead 

Average 
amount 
moved  by 
scraper 

Average 
scraper  cost 
per 
cubic  yard 

Average 
total  cost 
per 
cubic  yard 

Scraper  cost 
divided  by 
total  cost 

Soil 
excavated 

I 

260  it. 

I 
34     cu.  yd.    '         $0.138 

$0.273 

50.5  percent. 

Sandy 

loam. 

II 

300  ft. 

30    cu.  yd. 

0.158 

0.311 

50.8  per  cent. 

Clay. 

III 

400  ft. 

22    cu.  yd. 

0.216 

0.450 

48.0  per  cent. 

Wet  clay. 

IV 

500  ft. 

2i£  cu.  yd. 

0.222 

0.430 

51.6  per  cent. 

Fine  sand. 

V 

700  ft. 

23     cu.  yd. 

0.210                             0.367 

57.2  per  cent. 

Red    clay, 

loam  and 

1 

sand. 

The  plow  teams  in  the  five  cases  loosened  during  each  lo-hour  day 
the  following  average  amounts.  Case  I,  170  cu.  yd.;  Case  II,  150 
cu.  yd.;  Case  III,  115  cu.  yd.;  Case  IV,  125  cu.  yd.;  Case  V,  164 
cu.  yd.  It  will  be  noted  that  these  amounts  are  all  about  one-half  of 
what  they  should  have  been,  considering  the  soil  and  climatic  condi- 
tions. The  dumping  cost  is  also  high  in  the  last  four  cases.  One 
man  for  each  scraper  would  have  been  sufficient.  It  is  evident  that 
under  the  conditions  existing  on  this  work,  that  far  more  efficient 
work  would  have -been  done  if  about  8  to  10  scrapers  had  been  used 
in  a  gang.  The  same  foreman,  loaders  and  dumpers  could  have 
taken  care  of  the  larger  number  of  scrapers. 

The  figures  in  the  fifth  column  of  the  above  table  do  not  include 
the  expense  of  superintendence,  inspection,  repairs,  depreciation, 
etc.  Note  that  the  cost  of  the  scraper  work  was  about  50  per  cent, 
of  the  total  cost. 

4.  Maney  Four-wheel  Scraper. — Recently  a  four-wheel  scraper 
has  come  into  use,  known  as  the  Maney  Four-wheel  Scraper.  It  is 
made  by  the  Baker  Mfg.  of  Chicago,  111.  A  pan  having  a  capacity 
of  i  cu.  yd.  is  swung  on  chains  between  a  frame,  which  is  carried  on 
two  trucks.  The  pan  is  hung  so  that  the  front  or  cutting  edge  only 
touches  the  ground.  The  front  wheels  are  underhung,  so  that  short 
and  sharp  turns  may  be  made.  The  pan  is  operated  by  four  levers, 
which  are  all  within  easy  reach  of  the  driver  and  operator,  who  is 
seated  just  behind  the  rear  truck  and  on  the  right  side  of  the  machine. 


MANEY  FOUR-WHEEL  SCRAPER  17 

The  motive  power  may  be  horses  or  a  traction  engine.  The  latter 
is  generally  used  in  the  place  of  a  snatch  team  to  assist  the  regular 
team  in  filling  the  scraper.  The  pan  when  filled  is  elevated  auto- 
matically by  a  sprocket  chain.  The  whole  machine  then  is  moved 
to  the  dump  where  the  pan  is  elevated  to  the  proper  height,  when 
an  automatic  trip  throws  the  clutch  on  the  axle  out  of  gear,  stopping 
the  winding  and  preventing  the  machine  from  becoming  spool 
bound.  The  load  is  then  dumped  through  a  gate  in  the  rear  of  the 
pan.  Fig.  8  shows  a  general  view  of  this  scraper.  The  cost  of  this 
scraper  is  $260  f.o.b.  factory. 


The  Maney  Four-wheel  Scraper. 
Figure  8. 

4a.  Use  in  Oregon. — The  Maney  four-wheel  scraper  was  used  in 
the  construction  of  the  South  Branch  Canal  on  the  Klamath  Project 
near  Klamath  Falls,  Oregon.  This  canal  is  unique  in  its  being 
built  in  an  elevated  embankment  above  the  general  level  of  the 
original  surface  of  the  land.  The  top  of  the  dyke  is  14  ft.  and  the 
bottom  of  the  finished  canal  is  8  ft.  above  the  original  ground  sur- 
face. The  material  was  placed  in  6-in.  layers,  sprinkled,  and 
rolled  only  by  the  tractive  action  of  the  wheels  of  the  scrapers. 
The  average  haul  from  borrow  pit  to  dyke  was  400  ft.  The  material 
excavated  from  the  borrow  pit  was  sandy  loam  for  the  first  18  in. 
and  underlying  this  3 J  ft.  of  hard  pan.  This  latter  material  required 
8  to  10  head  to  move  the  plow  through  it.  The  total  amount  of 
material  handled  was  170,000  cu.  yd.  and  the  average  cost  of  han- 
dling per  cubic  yard  was  14  cents. 

4b.  Use  in  Colorado. — The  use  of  this  four-wheel  scraper  for 
three  years  in  the  construction  of  reservoir  dykes  and  irrigation 
ditches  in  Colorado,  where  a  friction  drum  and  cable  attached  to  a 
traction  engine  were  used  for  extra  power  in  loading,  gave  good 
results.  Two  sizes  of  this  machine  were  used,  a  three-horse  holding 
2 


18 


DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 


i  yd.  and  a  four-horse  holding  ij  yd.  The  material  averaged  from 
a  loose  sand  to  a  very  stiff  clay.  A  loading  average  was  made  of 
100  loads  per  hour  with  each  loading-engine.  The  cost  of  excavat- 
ing and  moving  the  dirt  was  from  5  to  8  cents  per  cubic  yard  on 
short  hauls  of  100  to  200  ft.;  for  longer  hauls  the  cost  was  i  cent  per 
cubic  yard  per  loo-ft.  increase  of  length  of  haul.  The  larger  size  of 
scraper  can  be  economically  used  up  to  a  2,ooo-ft.  haul. 

Figure  9  shows  a  gang  of  scrapers  using  a  traction  engine  in  the 
place  of  snatch  teams. 

40.  Use  in  Illinois.1 — The  excavation  of  a  site  for  a  large  artificial 
lake  at  Libertyville,  Illinois,  was  recently  accomplished  with  Maney 
scrapers. 

The  area  of  the  pit  excavated  was  oval  in  shape  with  a  diameter  of 
about  400  ft.  The  material  was  a  very  hard  brick  clay. 


A  Series  of  Maney  Scrapers  with  Traction  Engine  Auxiliary  for  Loading. 

Figure  9. 

The  scrapers  were  loaded,  at  first,  with  snatch  teams  but  later  a 
lo-h.p.  double-drum  engine  was  used.  The  engine  was  placed  on 
the  bank  of  the  pit  and  a  J-in.  diameter  steel  cable  run  from  each 
drum  through  a  two-sheave  steel  pulley  block  anchored  to  a  "dead- 
man"  about  50  ft.  away.  The  outer  end  of  each  cable  was  fastened 
to  a  hook,  attached  to  the  tongue  of  a  scraper.  The  operation  of 
each  drum  of  the  engine  wound  up  the  cable  and  pulled  the  scraper 
through  the  plowed  ground  toward  the  bank  of  the  pit.  Either  one 
or  two  scrapers  could  be  loaded  at  one  time.  Generally  one  scraper 
proceeded  to  the  dump,  while  the  other  one  drew  the  cables  back  to 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering- Contracting,  September  18,  1912. 


MANEY  FOUR-WHEEL  SCRAPER 


19 


the  loading  point.  The  average  haul  was  about  500  ft.,  varying 
from  200  to  1,200  ft. 

Each  scraper  required  the  services  of  only  one  man  who  rode, 
drove  the  team  and  operated  the  levers  for  loading  and  dumping 
the  scoop.  The  operation  of  the  engine  was  controlled  by  one  man. 

The  following  table  gives  a  statement  of  the  work  for  July,  1912. 

TABLE  V 
LABOR  AND  OUTPUT  ON  FOUR-WHEEL  SCRAPER  WORK 


Date 

Working  hours 

Number  of 
loads 

Foreman 

Laborers 

Man  and  team 

Tulv  i    10  i  2 

10 

10 
20 
10 
10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 

10 
10 

10 
IO 
10 
IO 
IO 
10 
IO 

40 
40 
70 
40 
40 
40 
40 
40 
30 
40 
40 
40 
28 
30 
30 
40 
40 
40 
40 

90 
90 
170 
80 
80 
80 
80 
90 
90 
90 
90 
90 
72 
90 
80 
90 
80 
82 
80 

310 

3i3 
628 

257 
281 
316 
277 
269 
362 
328 
324 
445 
312 

324 
328 
322 
320 
276 
346 

Tulv  2,   IQI2.  . 

July  5  and  6    1912     .    .  . 

Tilly  O,   IQI2.  . 

Tulv  10,  1012. 

July  ii    1912 

July  12,  1912  
Tulv  i  s   i  o  1  2 

July  16,  1912  

Tulv  17,  10  1  2 

Tulv  1  8   10  1  2 

Tulv  10,   IQI2.  . 

Tulv  21     IQI2 

July  24,  1912  

Tulv  26,   IQI2. 

July  27,  1912  

Tuly  20,   IQI2.  . 

Tulv  3O     IQI2 

July  31,  1912  
Total 

200 

748 

1,694 

6,338 

From  the  above  table  the  following  data  may  be  compiled: 

6,338  loads  of  about  29  cu.  ft.  equal  5,106  cu.  yd.  (place  meas.) 
Average  number  of  cu.  yd.  excavated  per  team-hour,  3 . 01 
Average  number  of  cu.  yd.  excavated  per  scraper-hour,  3 . 92 
Average  number  of  cu.  yd.  excavated  per  scraper  per 

day,  35-3 

Average  number  of  cu.  yd.  excavated  yer  day,  255 . 3 


20  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

The  labor  cost  for  this  work  is  given  as  follows: 

i  foreman,  $3  .00 

1  dumpman,  2  .  25 

2  pitmen,  @  $2.25,  4.50 
i  engineer,  2  . 75 
9  teams  and  men  with  7  scrapers    @  $.500  45 .00 


Total  labor  cost  per  day,  $57-5° 

Average  excavation  per  day,  255  .3  cu.  yd. 

Labor  cost  of  excavation,  $57.50-7-255.3=10.225  per  cubic  yard. 

5.  Resum£. — The  field  of  usefulness  of  the  scraper  is  large  and 
varied.  In  the  construction  of  embankments,  levees  in  drainage 
work,  and  fills  in  railroad  work,  the  scraper  is  a  time-honored  and 
efficient  tool.  For  the  excavation  of  broad,  shallow  ditches  for 
drainage  and  irrigation  systems,  the  scraper  has  been  used  to  a  more 
limited  extent.  It  is  a  familiar  tool  in  the  grading  of  streets,  the 
digging  of  cellars  for  buildings  and  the  excavation  of  large  shallow 
areas  for  reservoirs  and  the  foundations  for  various  structures.  The 
scraper  is  an  efficient  and  economical  excavator  where  the  yardage 
is  small,  roughly  speaking,  less  than  50,000  cu.  yd.  and  within  the 
scope  of  the  type  employed.  Considering  the  first  part  of  the  above 
statement,  a  dry-land  excavator  can  generally  be  used  for  the  con- 
struction of  levees,  when  the  job  is  greater  than  50,000  cu.  yd.,  at 
a  cost  of  about  50  per  cent,  less  than  with  a  scraper.  In  the  same 
way  a  steam  shovel  supersedes  the  scraper  in  the  excavation  of 
large  foundations,  street  and  railroad  cuts,  etc.  In  the  excavation 
of  small  ditches,  the  wheel  excavator  is  a  much  more  efficient  ma- 
chine and  for  large  ditches,  the  dredge  entirely  supplants  the 
scraper. 

The  Fresno  scraper  has  been  used  with  considerable  success  in 
the  southwest  on  ditch  and  embankment  construction.  This  is 
especially  true  of  side-hill  work,  when  the  ditch  lies  partly  in  cut 
and  partly  in  fill.  The  scraper  works  downhill,  pushing  a  large 
amount  of  earth  ahead  of  itself  into  the  embankment,  which  is 
consolidated  by  the  tramping  of  the  teams.  For  ditches  from  6 
to  20  ft.  wide  on  the  bottom,  side  slopes  of  ij  to  i,  and  less,  and  for 
depths  from  3  ft.  to  6  ft.,  the  Fresno  scraper  will,  under  fair  work- 
ing conditions,  average  about  500  cu.  yd.  per  working  day  of  10 
hours  and  at  an  operating  cost  of  about  8  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

The  drag  scraper  can  operate  successfully  and  economically  up 
to  a  haul  of  200  ft.  and  the  wheel  scraper  up  to  a  haul  of  800  ft. 

The  cost  of  excavation  is  rather  difficult  to  formulate  and  one 


COST  OF  SCRAPER  WORK 


21 


upon  which  authorities  differ.1  The  following  table  is  based  upon 
the  rules  given  on  pages  3  and  13  and  will  be  found  to  be  approxi- 
mately correct,  under  average  working  conditions. 

TABLE  VI 

COST  PER  CUBIC  YARD  OF  SCRAPER  WORK 
I.     Drag  Scraper 


Character  of  soil 

Length  of  haul 

Soft. 

100  ft. 

150  ft. 

200  ft. 

Average  soil 

$0.  10 

$o.  13 

$0.  12 

$o.  15 

$o.  14 
$0.17 

$0.16 

$0.19 

Hard  soil  

II.  Wheel  Scraper 


Length  of  haul 


100  ft. 

200  ft. 

300  ft. 

400  ft. 

500  ft. 

600  ft. 

700  ft. 

800  ft. 

Average  soil  
Hard  soil  

$o.  10 
$o.  13 

$0.12 
$0.15 

$o.  14 

$0.17 

$o.  1  6 
$o.  19 

$0.18 

$0.21 

$O.  20 
$0.23 

$O.22 

$0.25 

$0.24 

$0.27 

The  figures  of  cost  given  in  the  above  table  include   plowing, 
loading,  hauling,  dumping,  spreading,  supervision,  and  repairs. 
6.  Bibliography. — For  additional  information,  see  the  following: 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896  by 
Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,  105  figures,  8  by  n  in. 

2.  Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  Second  Edition,  published  in 
1912  by  McGraw-Hill  Book  Co.,  New  York.     54  figures,  5!  by  7  in.,  cost  $2. 

3.  Economics  of  Road  Construction,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1906  by 
Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     41  pages,  9  figures. 

4.  Handbook  of  Cost  Data,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Myron  C. 
Clark  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago.     1,900  pages,  4!  by  7  in.,  cost  $5. 

5.  Roads  and  Pavements,  by  Ira  O.  Baker,  published  in  1903  by  John  Wiley 
&  Sons,  New  York.     655  pages,  171  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $5. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

i.  Bowford's  and  Evershed's  Patent  Excavator;  The  Engineer,  London, 
February  n,  1898.  Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

1  See  Baker's  "Roads  and  Pavements"  and  Gillette's  "Earthwork  and  Its 
Cost." 


22  DRAG  AND  WHEEL  SCRAPERS 

2.  A  Cable-power  Scraper  for  Earth  Excavation,  C.  G.  Newton;  Engineering 
News,  October  20,  1904.     Illustrated,  500  words. 

3.  Cost  of  Wheel-scraper  Work;  Engineering-Contracting,  August  28,  1907, 
and  July  22,  1908. 

4.  Excavation  with  Fresno  Scrapers;  Engineering-Contracting,  November  3, 
1909,  and  November  24,  1909. 

5.  Examples  of  High  and  Low  Cost  of  Wheel-scraper  Work,  with  Comments  on 
the  Efficiency  of  the  Work  Done;   Engineering- Contracting,  July   22,   1908. 
1,300  words. 

6.  A  Four-wheel  scraper  of  Large  Capacity  for  Excavation   and    Grading; 
Engineering  News,  May  19,  1910.     1,000  words. 

7.  Hints  on  Handling  Wheel  Scrapers;  Engineering-Contracting,  August  28, 
1907.     1,500  words. 

8.  Low  Cost  of  Excavation  with  Fresno  Scrapers  by  Walter  N.  Frickstad; 
Engineering- Contracting,  November  3,  1909.     Illustrated.     2,000  words. 

9.  Methods  and  Cost  of  Moving  Earth  in  the  Fresno  Scrapers  in  Arizona,  and 
the  Cost  of  Trimming  Slopes;  Engineering- Contracting,  October  2,  1907.     1,500 
words. 

10.  Methods  and  Costs  of  Loading  Dump  Wagons  with  Scrapers,  and  the  De- 
sign of  a  Loading  Platform;  Engineering- Contracting,  January  23,  1907.     1,200 
words. 

11.  Scraper  Excavators;  Engineering  News,  March  21,  1907. 


CHAPTER  II 
ROAD  OR  SCRAPING  GRADERS 

8.  General  Description. — The  scraper  grader,  or  road  machine  as 
it  is  often  called,  consists  of  a  scraper  blade  suspended  from  a  frame 
mounted  on  either  two  or  four  wheels.     The  blade  is  so  hung  from 
the  frame  that  it  may  be  placed  at  any  angle,  horizontally  or  verti- 
cally.    The  grader  is  usually  hauled  by  four  or  six  horses,  although 
for  shallow  road  ditch  work,  especially  through  hard  soil,  a  traction 
engine  is  often  used  and  furnishes  a  steadier  power. 

The  scraping  grader  is  operated  by  making  successive  shallow 
cuts  and  gradually  working  the  excavated  material  from  a  lower  to  a 
higher  elevation. 

9.  Two-wheel  Grader. — The  simplest  form  of  scraping  grader  is 
the  two-wheel  grader.     The  blade  can  be  raised  or  lowered  and 


Two-wheel  Grader. 
Figure  ga. 

adjusted  vertically  or  horizontally.  The  machine  is  hauled  by  two 
or  four  horses  and  is  operated  by  one  man  who  sits  at  the  rear  of  the 
machine.  Fig.  ga  shows  one  type  of  grader,  with  a  pivoted  blade, 
which  can  be  set  in  any  horizontal  position  by  the  curved  arm 

23 


24  ROAD  OR  SCRAPING  GRADERS 

fastened  to  the  rear  of  the  blade.  Two  levers  adjust  the  blade  in  a 
vertical  position.  The  wheels  are  flanged  to  prevent  lateral  slipping 
of  the  machine  on  an  inclined  surface.  This  machine  weighs  600  Ib. 
and  costs  $125.  It  will  cut  V-shaped  ditches,  as  shown  in  Fig.  10,  up 
to  a  depth  of  24  in.  and  at  an  average  cost  of  3  cents  per  rod. 

pa.  Use  in  Mississippi. — The  machine  shown  in  Fig.  10  is  the 
Twentieth  Century  Grader  made  by  the  Baker  Mfg.  Co.  of  Chicago, 
111.  It  has  been  used  extensively  in  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and 
Texas,  in  the  excavation  of  small  lateral  ditches.  On  large  planta- 
tions near  Greenville  and  Yazoo  City,  Mississippi,  drainage  ditches, 
having  a  bottom  width  of  2  ft.,  average  depth  of  2  ft.  and  average  top 


Two- wheel  Grader  Excavating  Ditch. 
Figure  10. 

width  of  6  ft.  have  been  constructed  with  this  grader.  The  machine 
was  pulled  by  four  mules  and  the  services  of  two  men  were  required, 
one  to  drive  the  mules  and  the  other  to  operate  the  grader.  In  cases 
where  the  excavation  was  made  in  soft  soil  and  the  cut  was  uniform, 
one  man  furnished  all  the  labor  required.  The  average  day's  work 
resulted  in  the  construction  of  \  mile  of  ditch,  having  the  cross- 
section  noted  above.  The  cost  of  construction  was  $4  per  day  or 
about  3  cents  per  rod. 

Another  form  of  two-wheel  machine  has  the  axles  pivoted  so  that 
the  wheels,  either  one  or  both  may  be  inclined  to  prevent  the  lateral 
motion  of  the  machine  on  an  inclined  surface  or  as  a  result  of  the  side 
thrust  of  the  blade. 

10.  Four-wheel  Grader. — The  four-wheel  grader  is  made  in  many 


FOUR-WHEEL  GRADER  25 

forms  and  sizes.     A  typical  make  of  the  small  light  grader  is  shown 
in  Fig.  ii. 

loa.  Light-wheel  Grader.— The  blade  is  turned  or  moved  horizon- 
tally by  means  of  a  circle  and  adjusted  vertically  by  the  wheel- 
operated  gear  lifts.  The  rear  axle  is  pivoted  in  the  center  so  that  the 
rear  wheels  may  be  inclined  in  either  direction  to  counteract  side 
draft.  Also  by  a  simple  gear  mechanism  the  frame  of  the  machine 
can  be  shifted  on  the  rear  axle  to  either  side.  This  allows  one  wheel 
to  run  along  the  side  of  a  ditch  when  making  a  cut.  The  front 
wheels  are  small  and  can  cut  under  the  frame  so  that  the  machine 


Light  Four-wheel  Grader. 
Figure  n. 

may  be  turned  short.     This  machine  weighs  1,400  lb.,  has  a  blade 
14  in.  wide  and  6  ft.  long  and  costs  $135,  f.o.b.  factory. 

lob.  Standard-wheel  Grader. — The  standard  size  of  scraping  or 
road  grader  is  shown  in  Fig.  12.  This  machine  is  constructed  and 
operated  in  a  similar  way  to  the  light-weight  scraping  grader, 
described  above.  The  blade  of  the  standard  size  machine  is  7  ft. » 
long  and  the  rear  axles  may  be  extended  to  a  total  width  of  nearly 
8  ft.  The  weight  of  the  machine  is  2,700  lb.  and  the  cost  is  $225, 
f.o.b.  factory. 

n.  Reclamation  Grader. — A  scraping  grader  or  ditcher,  which  is 
specially  designed  for  the  construction  of  ditches  is  shown  in  Fig.  15. 
This  machine  has  been  used  in  the  construction  of  a  number  of 
irrigation  ditches  in  Colorado,  Idaho  and  Montana.  This  machine 
has  a  much  greater  latitude  in  the  vertical  adjustment  of  blade  and 
the  lateral  or  oblique  motion  of  the  wheels  of  both  trucks  than  the 


26 


ROAD  OR  SCRAPING  GRADERS 


Standard  Road  Grader. 
Figure  12. 


Reclamation  Grader  Excavating  Irrigation  Ditch. 
Figure  13. 


RECLA  MA  TION  GRA  DER 


27 


ordinary  scraping  or  road  grader.  It  can  excavate  ditches  to  a 
depth  of  3  ft.  below  the  original  surface,  to  a  bottom  width  of  10  ft. 
and  with  side  slopes  as  steep  as  2  to  i.  It  is  hauled  with  12  horses, 
weighs  3,800  Ib.  and  costs  $750.  The  cost  of  construction  of  irriga- 
tion ditches  has  run  from  i  cent  per  cubic  yard  to  8  cents  per  cubic 
yard,  depending  on  the  cross-section  of  the  ditch  and  the  character  of 
the  soil. 

The  author  has  not  known  of  this  machine  ever  having  been  used 
in  the  construction  of  a  drainage  ditch,  but  believes  that  it  would  be 
satisfactory  for  dry  soil,  which  is  not  too  hard  or  stiff.  Figs.  13  and 


. — , 


Reclamation  Grader  Commencing  Irrigation  Ditch. 
Figure  14. 

14  show  this  ditcher  in  operation  in  the  construction  of  a  large  ditch 
at  Broomfield,  Colorado. 

na.  Use  in  Iowa. — Two  Reclamation  graders  have  recently  been 
used  in  the  construction  of  roads  in  Van  Bur  en  County,  Iowa.  The 
graders  were  hauled  by  a  6o-h.p.  gasoline  traction  engine.  The 
work  comprised  the  grading  up  of  60  miles  of  road  with  the  moving 
of  the  earth  from  the  side  ditches  to  the  center.  The  road  was  30 
ft.  wide  between  centers  of  side  ditches  and  crowned  to  a  height  of 
3  ft.  above  the  bottoms  of  the  side  ditches.  The  latter  had  bottom 


28 


ROAD  OR  SCRAPING  GRADERS 


Two  Reclamation  Graders  on  Road  Construction. 
Figure  15. 


Two  Road  Graders  Drawn  by  Traction  Engine. 
Figure  16. 


COST  OF  ROAD  GRADER  WORK  29 

widths  of  20  in.  The  cost  of  the  work  was  $20  per  mile.  The 
graders  in  use  are  shown  in  Fig.  15. 

12.  Rdsum^. — The  road  grader  can  be  used  efficiently  in  the 
construction  of  roads  and  of  small  ditches.  The  limitations  of  this 
machine  depend  to  a  great  extent  upon  its  size  and  construction. 
The  two- wheel  grader  is  adapted  to  the  grading  up  of  roads  and  the 
excavation  of  small  ditches  where  the  soil  is  dry  and  not  too  hard. 
The  four-wheel  grader  is  economical  in  the  grading  up  of  roads  and 
the  excavation  of  the  upper  sections  of  large  ditches.  The  type  of 
grader  shown  by  the  Reclamation  grader  is  especially  adapted  to 
side-hill  work  and  the  excavation  of  irrigation  lateral  ditches.  A 
grader  of  any  kind  cannot  operate  successfully  in  very  loose  and  wet 
soils  nor  in  very  hard  soils. 

Where  a  large  amount  of  road  construction  is  included  in  one 
contract,  it  is  advisable  to  use  a  traction  engine  to  haul  the  grader. 
In  making  the  cuts  and  spreading  the  material  over  a  roadway, 
considerable  economy  of  time  and  labor  may  be  effected  by  using 
the  graders  in  pairs.  A  view  of  two  road  graders  drawn  by  a  trac- 
tion engine  is  shown  in  Fig.  16. 

The  standard  road  grader  will  require  the  services  of  two  men  and 
five  horses  and  the  operating  expenses  will  average  $12  per  day.  In 
the  excavation  of  road  ditches  and  the  grading  up  of  roads,  for  ordi- 
nary clay  and  loam  with  slight  grades,  the  grader  will  make  an  out- 
put of  about  1,000  cu.  yd.  or  cover  about  18,000  sq.  yd.  of  road 
surface. 


CHAPTER  III 
ELEVATING  GRADERS 

13.  General  Description. — The  elevating  grader  consists  of  -a 
frame  supported  on  two  pairs  of  wheels.  From  the  frame  is  sus- 
pended a  plow  and  transverse  inclined  frame,  which  carries  a  wide 
traveling,  endless  belt.  The  moving  belt  frame  or  elevator  is  so 
constructed  and  supported,  that  the  extension  of  the  belt  beyond 
the  center  of  the  machine  may  be  varied  and  the  inclination  of  the 
belt  changed.  The  form  of  plow  used  may  be  either  of  the  disc  or 
ordinary  moldboard  type.  The  plow  is  suspended  from  an  inde- 
pendent beam,  which  is  so  hung  from  the  main  frame  that  the  plow 
may  be  adjusted  in  four  ways;  longitudinal,  transverse,  vertical, 
and  tilting.  The  plow  loosens  the  soil  and  raises  it  upon  the  lower 
end  of  the  inclined  elevator,  which  carries  it  to  the  outer  and  upper 
end  of  the  elevator,  where  it  falls  on  to  the  spoil  bank  or  into  wagons. 

This  machine  is  generally  constructed  in  three  sizes;  the  large,  or 
"Giant,"  the  standard,  and  the  small,  or  " Junior." 

I3a.  Large  Elevating  Grader. — The  large  size  is  built  to  meet 
the  requirements  for  a  machine  with  a  specially  long  elevator.  It 
will  convey  earth  a  distance  of  30  ft.  from  the  plow,  the  elevator 
being  made  in  sections  to  operate  in  18-,  21-,  27-  and  3o-ft.  lengths. 
It  is  designed  to  excavate  a  ditch  having  a  maximum  top  width  of 
50  ft.  and  a  maximum  depth  of  7  ft.  Its  weight  is  12,000  Ib.  and 
cost  is  $1,400  f.o.b.  factory. 

i3b.  Standard  Elevating  Grader. — The  standard  is  the  popular 
size  and  generally  used  under  average  conditions.  The  elevator 
is  made  so  as  to  convey  earth  15,  18  and  21  ft.  from  the  plow.  Its 
weight  is  9,400  Ib.  and  cost  is  $1,000  f.o.b.  factory. 

130.  Small  Elevating  Grader. — The  small  size  is  especially  adapted 
for  working  in  narrow  cuts  or  in  constructing  road  ditches,  where  the 
earth  is  moved  a  short  distance  transversely.  The  elevator  is  con- 
structed to  move  material  either  15  or  18  ft.  from  the  plow.  Its 
weight  is  8,600  Ib.  and  cost  is  $950  f.o.b.  factory. 

Figures  17,  1 8  and  19  show  respectively,  the  plow  side  and  the 
elevator  side  of  a  standard  size  elevating  grader. 

30 


GASOLINE  POWER 


31 


14.  Gasoline -engine  Elevator  Drive. — The  latest  type  of  elevat- 
ing grader  uses  a  gasoline-engine  attachment  for  driving  the  eleva- 
tor. Although  this  innovation  has  not  been  in  use  long  enough  to 
thoroughly  demonstrate  its  efficiency,  the  few  cases  where  the 


Plow  Side  of  Elevating  Grader. 
Figure  17. 


Plow  Side  of  Elevating  Grader. 
Figure  18. 

writer  has  known  of  its  use  show  favorable  results.  The  engine 
used  is  usually  a  four-cylinder,  25-  or  30-h.p.  automobile  type  of 
gasoline  engine.  The  weight  of  engine  attachment  is  about  1,000  Ib. 
The  principal  advantage  of  the  special  engine  drive  over  the  ordi- 
nary traction  drive  is  the  uniform  and  strong  movement  of  the  carrier, 


32 


ELEVATING  GRADERS 


regardless  of  the  tractive  force  of  the  wheels  of  the  grader  or  the 
load  on  the  carrier. 

15.  Animal  Motive  Power. — The  motive  power  of  an  elevating 
grader  is  usually  from  10  to  16  head  of  horses  or  mules,  depend- 


Elevator  Side  of  Elevating  Grader. 
Figure  19. 

ing  on  the  size  of  the  machine  and  the  character  of  the  soil  to  be 
excavated. 

16.  Traction-engine  Motive  Power. — Where  a  large  amount  of 


Traction  Engine  and  Elevating  Grader  on  Road  Construction. 
Figure  20. 

motive  power  is  required  and  for  a  large  contract,  as  in  the  con- 
struction of  several  miles  of  drainage  ditches  through  heavy  gumbo 


USE  IN  SOUTH  DAKOTA  33 

soil,  the  use  of  a  traction  engine  is  more  economical  and  preferable 
to  the  use  of  animal  power.  The  size  of  traction  engine  required 
depends  on  the  size  of  the  grader  and  the  character  of  the  material 
to  be  excavated.  A  standard  size  elevating  grader  will,  under 
average  conditions,  require  about  a  25  tractive  horse-power  engine. 
Fig.  20  shows  a  steam  traction  engine  and  elevating  grader  con- 
structing a  road  through  gumbo  soil  in  Nebraska. 

17.  Use  of  Elevating  Grader  in  South  Dakota. — From  August, 
1910  to  December,  1911,  three  lines  of  lateral  ditches,  having  an 
average  length  of  6  miles  each,  were  constructed  tributary  to  the 
Clay  Creek  Ditch  in  Clay  County,  South  Dakota.  The  contract 
required  the  excavation  of  ditches  having  bottom  widths  of  3  ft.,  side 
slopes  of  i  to  i  and  depths,  varying  from  3  to  7  ft.  The  contract 
price  was  10  cents  per  cubic  yard  for  excavated  ditch  section  and 
the  excavated  material  formed  into  a  suitably  graded-up  road.  The 
upper  section  of  the  ditches  was  entirely  excavated  by  elevating 
graders  drawn  by  traction  engines.  The  graders  used  were  the  New 
Era  Senior  and  the  Standard  Western.  Hart-Parr  gasoline  engines 
having  a  capacity  of  45-25  tractive  horse-power  were  used.  An 
average  of  800  cu.  yd.  of  rather  stiff  loam  and  clay  were  excavated 
in  a  i4-hour  day.  About  60  gal.  of  kerosene  per  day  was  used  as 
fuel  for  each  engine  and  the  cost  of  labor  was  as  follows: 

i  engineer  for  engine,  $3.50  per  day  and  board. 

i  operator  for  elevating  grader,  $3  per  day  and  board. 

i7a.  Reclamation  Service,  South  Dakota. — A  large  earthen  dam 
was  constructed  across  Owl  Creek  near  Belle  Fourche,  South  Dakota, 
to  form  the  reservoir  for  the  Belle  Fourche  Project  of  the  Reclama- 
tion Service.  During  the  early  stages  of  this  work,  elevating  graders 
were  used  to  excavate  the  material  from  the  borrow  pits,  which  were 
located  on  each  side  of  the  valley  near  the  ends  of  the  dam  and  the 
excavated  material  was  hauled  by  means  of  i  J  cu.  yd.  dump  wagons. 
They  were  drawn  by  either  two-  or  three-horse  teams  and  the  average 
load  was  \  cu.  yd. 

The  graders  were  Western  Elevating  Graders  of  standard  size. 
One  grader  was  drawn  by  a  32-h.p.,  20- ton,  steam  traction  engine 
and  the  other  by  12  or  14  horses. 

The  following  report  of  hauling  was  submitted  by  Mr.  F.  C. 
Magruder,  Project  Engineer,  and  is  given  entire,  as  being  of  especial 
interest  in  this  matter. 

Wages  paid  were  $1.75  per  lo-hour  day  for  teamsters  and  $i  per 
day  for  horses.  The  dirt  from  Anderson's  pit  was  brought  up  a  5-per 


34 


ELEVATING  GRADERS 


cent,  grade  making  a  lift  of  60  ft.  C.  Wilson  had  a  lift  of  45  ft.  Pits 
95-97,  56-96  and  332-372  were  all  at  a  higher  elevation  than  the  dam 
and  the  haul  was  all  down  grade.  Part  of  the  wagons  were  drawn  by 
three  horses  and  part  by  two  horses.  J.  Lamoro  used  two  horses  and 
A.  Lamoro  used  three  horses;  the  other  outfits  used  part  two's  and 
part  three's. 

TABLE   VII 
COST  OF  HAULING  DIRT  WITH  i*  YARD  DUMP  WAGONS 


Cu.  yd. 

Cost 

Length 

Cost 

Cost  per 

Pit  No. 

Foreman 

Yardage 

per 
wagon 
day 

per 
wagon 
day 

of  haul 
ft. 

per 
cu.  yd. 

cu.  yd. 
per  100 

290-291 

J.  Lamoro  .  .  . 

7,250 

76 

4-39 

600 

$0.058 

$0.0097 

230-231 

Anderson  

5,070 

48.3 

5-34 

1,200 

O.  Ill 

0.0092 

IIO-II2 

A.  Lamoro  .  .  . 

20,710 

78 

5-20 

1,300 

0.074 

0.0057 

231 

C.Wilson.... 

6,730 

49.2 

4.91 

1,000 

O.  IOO 

O.OIOO 

332-372 

J.  Lamoro.  .  .  . 

4,550 

Si-4 

4.48 

1,500 

0.087 

0.0058 

I  IO 

Cotter 

2,270 

28  4 

4   01 

2  OOO 

O    173 

o  0086 

O  ^  —  07 

Cotter  

25,900 

25.  7 

4-  91 

2,6OO 

O    IQ4 

o  007^ 

c()  —  06 

Cotter      .... 

4,  ceo 

30.  i 

4-  01 

3.OOO 

o  163 

o  oo^  ^ 

The  material  excavated  was  a  gravel  and  a  stiff  clay  which  was 
easily  removed  by  the  grader  plows  and  would  stand  in  a  vertical 
face  several  feet  high  without  caving  or  sliding. 

The  following  table  gives  an  itemized  statement  of  the  cost  of 
excavation  and  hauling  for  the  season  of  1908. 

The  labor  cost  includes  the  cost  of  superintendence,  office  expenses 
and  other  all  general  expense.  Wages  for  common  labor  were  $1.75 
and  $2  per  day  of  10  hours. 

The  repair  charges  include  cost  of  all  repair  parts  and  labor  ex- 
pense involved  in  making  repairs. 

Depreciation  chaiges  are  based  on  the  amount  of  work  to  be  done 
by  each  piece  of  machinery,  and  the  estimated  salvage  at  the  end  of 
the  job. 

Supplies  include  oil,  waste,  coal,  boiler  compound,  packing  and 
hose.  Coal  cost,  delivered  at  the  dam,  from  $7.50  to  $10.50  per  ton, 
according  to  the  quality. 


USE  IN  MONTANA 


35 


TABLE  VIII 
COST  OF   EXCAVATION  AND  HAULING 


Hayes  Bros,  grader 

Sub-cons's.  grader 

Total 

Yardage  39,45° 

Yardage  3  7,580 

Yardage  77,030 

cu.  yd. 

cu.  yd. 

cu.  yd. 

Classification 

Daily  ave.  391 

Daily  ave.  572 

Daily  ave  406 

cu.  yd. 

cu.  yd. 

cu.  yd. 

Average  haul 

Average  haul 

Average  haul 

2,400  ft. 

1,200  ft. 

i,  800  ft. 

Total 

Unit 

Total 

Unit 

Total 

Unit 

Excavation: 

Labor  

$1,583.40 

$0.0402 

$i,737-2i 

$0.4620 

$3,320.61 

$0.0431 

Depreciation  . 

599-87 

0.0152 

91.70 

0.0024 

69*-57 

0.0090 

Repairs  

1,406.00 

0.0356 

171.50 

o  .  0046 

1,577-50 

0.0205 

Supplies  

1,307.46 

o.  0332 

I  3O7    J.6 

o  01  70 

Total  

4,896.73 

o.  1242 

2,000.41 

0.0532 

6,897.14 

0.0896 

Hauling: 

Labor 

6,760.00 

0.1715 

2,902.47 

0.0772 

9,662.47 

0.1264 

Depreciation  . 

7.00 

0.0002 

8.00 

O.OOO2 

15.00 

O.OOO2 

Total 

6,767.00 

O.I7I7 

2,910.47 

0.0774 

9,677-47 

o.  1266 

1 8.  Use  of  Elevating  Grader  in  Nebraska. — In  the  grading  up 
of  roads  and  the  construction  of  road  ditches  in  Saunders  County, 
Nebraska,  a  Stroud  elevating  grader  moved  an  average  of.  1,400 
cu.  yd.  of  sandy  loam  during  a  zo-hour  day  and  at  a  cost  of  $28  per 
day  for  the  labor  of  two  men  and  14  head  of  horses. 

19.  Use  of  Elevating  Grader  in  Montana. — On  the  Blackfeet 
Project  of  the  U.  S.  Reclamation  Service,  near  Blackfeet,  Montana, 
a  New  Era  Reversible  Elevating  Grader  was  used  in  the  construction 
of  an  irrigation  ditch  having  a  bottom  width  varying  from  10  to  15  ft. 
Eighteen  heavy  mules  were  use.d  to  draw  the  grader,  whose  elevator 
belt  was  run  by  a  g-h.p.  gasoline  engine.     The  ditch  was  excavated 
principally  on  flat  country  and  on  hillside  with  slight  slopes.     The 
material  excavated  was  principally  clear  loam  and  loam  mixed  with 
a  small  amount  of  gravel.     Four  men  were  required  to  operate  the 
machine  and  the  average  excavation  was  no  cu.  yd.  per  hour,  at  a 
cost  of  6  cents  per  yard  for  actual  operation  (not  including  adminis- 
tration and  camp  expense).     The  experience  of  the  engineers  on  this 
project  in  the  use  of  elevating  graders  in  the  excavation  of  ditches  or 


36  ELEVATING  GRADERS 

canals,  showed  that  although  animals  as  motive  power  gave  good 
satisfaction,  the  greatest  efficiency  and  economy  are  secured  by  the 
use  of  a  traction  engine.  This  type  of  excavator  cannot  be  used  to 
advantage  on  a  ditch  having  a  bottom  width  of  less  than  10  ft. 

A  Western  Standard  elevating  grader  was  used  in  Montana,  in  the 
construction  of  irrigation  ditches.  The  material  excavated  was  a 
heavy  sandy  loam  and  was  wasted  on  both  sides  of  the  ditch.  On 
the  basis  of  a  lo-hour  day,  an  average  excavation  of  900  cu.  yd.  was 
made  at  a  cost  for  power  and  labor  of  7  cents  per  cubic 'yard.  Ex- 
perience on  this  work  showed  that  the  grader  was  useful  only  in  the 
excavation  of  large  ditch  prisms  and  that  it  was  generally  necessary 
to  use  some  other  machinery  to  finish  the  ditches  and  make  smooth 
side  slopes  and  bottoms. 

20.  Use  of  Elevating  Grader  in  Minnesota. — The  following  de- 
scription of  the  use  of  an  elevating  grader  in  the  construction  of 
a  drainage  ditch  is  taken  from  Bulletin  No.  no  of  the  Northwest 
Experiment  Farm  of  the  University  of  Minnesota. 

The  machinery  of  the  grader  was  operated  by  a  i2-h.p.  gasoline 
engine.  A  dise  plow  with  a  diameter  of  24  in.  and  set  at  an  angle 
of  about  5  in.  was  used  to  elevate  the  earth  on  a  30-in.  belt.  The 
elevator  had  a  length  of  22  ft.  with  a  maximum  extension  to  30  ft. 
The  elevator  and  plow  are  supported  from  a  steel  frame,  which  is 
mounted  on  two  trucks,  the  front  truck  having  a  wheel  width  of  6  ft. 
and  the  rear  truck  a  wheel  width  of  9^  ft.  The  rear  wheel  on  the 
elevator  side  had  a  tire  width  of  20  in.  arid  the  other  three  wheels  a 
tire  width  of  10  in. 

The  machine  was  drawn  by,  16  horses,  four  in  the  lead  team  and 
six  in  each  of  the  front  and  rear  teams.  A  driver  was  used  for  each 
team  and  one  man  operated  the  elevating  machinery.  The  time 
of  turning  the  grader  averaged  one  minute.  The  average  speed  of 
the  machine  was  1.3  miles  per  hour  for  a  working  day  of  10  hours. 
The  average  fuel  consumption  was  12  gal.  of  gasoline  per  lo-hour 
day. 

It  was  found  that  the  minimum  cross-section  of  ditch,  which 
could  be  excavated  with  the  elevating  grader  was  one  having  a 
bottom  width  of  8  ft.,  a  depth  of  2.5  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i. 
The  greater  the  bottom  width,  the  deeper  the  machine  can  exca- 
vate, but  the  narrower  the  berme  becomes.  It  required  25  ft.  clear 
space  along  each  side  of  the  ditch  for  operation  and  a  length  of  100 
ft.  at  the  end  of  the  ditch  for  turning. 

On  a  level  stretch  with  a  length  of  three-fourths  of  a  mile  and 


USE  ON  CHICAGO  DRAINAGE  CANAL  37 

where  the  earth  was  dry  and  free  from  obstructions,  an  average 
daily  excavation  of  1,200  cu.  yd.  was  made.  Of  this  amount  200 
cu.  yd.  was  outside  of  the  required  cross-section  of  the  ditch,  leaving 
1,000  cu.  yd.  of  pay  excavation. 

21.  Use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal. — During  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1894,  while  waiting  for  the  completion  of  the  bridge 
conveyors  which  were  to  be  used  in  the  excavation  of  sections  K 
and  I  of  the  Chicago  Drainage  Canal,  and  to  keep  up  with  the  con- 
tract requirements  as  regards  monthly  progress,  the  earth  to  a  depth 
of  about  5  ft.  over  the  entire  area  of  the  two  sections  was  excavated 
and  removed  with  elevating  graders  and  dump  wagons. 

There  were  five  New  Era  graders  and  35  Austin  Dump  Wagons 
used  on  this  work.  Each  grader  was  operated  by  12  horses 
and  three  men  and  served  by  seven  dump  wagons  with  three  horses 
and  a  driver  to  each. 

The  soil  excavated  was  a  soft  clayey  loam  and  the  average  haul 
was  about  500  ft. 

The  average  excavation1  for  each  grader  was  500  cu.  yd.  for  a 
lo-hour  working  day.  Records  kept  on  Section  K  during  Au- 
gust and  September,  1894,  gave  the  average  output  as  490  cu.  yd. 
and  515  cu.  yd.  per  lo-hour  day,  respectively.  On  Section  I  the 
average  output  for  each  grader  for  September,  1894,  was  485  cu. 
yd.  per  10  hours.  The  total  time  consumed  on  both  sections  was 
123  lo-hour  days,  and  the  average  daily  force  was  50.4  men,  41.9 
teams,  22.3  wagons  and  3.1  New  Era  graders.  The  average  output 
per  day  worked  for  each  quarter  was  508  cu.  yd.  The  use  of  these 
graders  on  the  top-soil  excavation  of  these  two  sections  was  very 
satisfactory. 

22.  Re'sume'. — The  elevating  grader  is  most  efficient  in  the  con- 
struction of  shallow  highway  ditches,  the  upper  sections  of  large 
ditches  and  lateral  ditches,  with  bottom  width  not  less  than  16  ft. 

The  soil  conditions  must  be  favorable  for  the  satisfactory  opera- 
tion of  this  excavator.  Very  loose  and  light  soils  cannot  be  raised 
by  the  plow,  and  wet  sticky,  gumbo  soils  work  with  difficulty.  A 
soil  in  which  there  are  roots  or  boulders  is  unsuitable  for  grader 
work. 

The  gasoline  engine  should  be  used  to  operate  the  belt  conveyor. 
The  traction  engine  for  motive  power  can  be  used  to  better  advan- 
tage than  animal  power  where  the  soil  conditions  are  suitable.  It 
has  been  found  in  the  use  of  the  grader  in  irrigation  work  in  the 

1  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel.     C.  S.  Hill. 


38  ELEVATING  GRADERS 

isolated  dry  and  hot  sections  of  the  west  that  horses  or  mules  are 
difficult  to  secure  and  keep.  Light  and  loose  sandy  soils  will  not 
stand  up  under  the  heavy  weight  of  a  traction  engine,  while  some 
dense  clayey  soils  pack  so  hard  under  the  engine  wheels  as  to  make 
their  excavation  difficult. 

It  may  be  safely  assumed  that  a  standard  elevating  grader  under 
average  conditions  will  move  500  cu.  yd.  of  earth  500  ft.  in  10  hours. 


Traction  Engine  and  Elevating  Grader  Excavating  Irrigation  Canal. 
Figure  21. 

The  cost  of  operation  will  average  about  10  cents  per  cubic  yard 
and  to  this  should  be  added  from  ij  to  2%  cents  for  interest  on  in- 
vestment, depreciation,  repairs,  etc. 

23.  Bibliography.— For  additional  information,  consult  the  fol- 
lowing references: 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896 
by  Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,  105  figures,  8  by 
ii  in.     \ 

2.  Earth  and  Rock  Excavation,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1905  by  D. 
Van  Nostrand,  New  York.    421  pages,  167  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $3. 

3.  Eaithwork  and   Its   Cost,  by  H.  P.    Gillette,   published  in  1910  by  En- 
gineering News  Publishing.  Co.,  New  York.     254  pages,  54  figures,  5^  by  7  in., 
cost  $2. 

4.  Handbook  of  Cost  Data,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Myron   C. 
Clark  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago,  1,900  pages,  4!  by  7  in.,  cost  $5. 

5.  Roads  and  Pavements,  by  Ira  O.  Baker,  published  in  1903  by  John  Wiley 
&  Sons,  New  York.     655  pages,  171  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $5. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  39 


MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  Moving  Earth  with  Elevating  Graders  and   Dump  Wagons;   Engineering 
Record,  December  30,  1909.     1,500  words. 

2.  Steam  Excavating  and  Grading  Machine;  Engineering  News,  August  15 
1901.     Illustrated,  1,100  words. 


CHAPTER  IV 
CAPSTAN  PLOWS 

24.  Complete   Outfit. — A   capstan   plow   outfit   consists   of    the 
plow  and  two  capstans,  each  of  which  can  be  readily  mounted  on  a 
pair  of  trucks  for  transportation  and  two  large  cabins  of  a  single 
room  each,  mounted  on  wheels;  one  cabin  for  a  dining  room  and  the 
other  for  sleeping  quarters.     Six  or  eight  men  and  16  to  18  horses 
are  used  to  operate  a  capstan  plow  outfit. 

25.  Field  of  Work. — The  construction  of  small  open  ditches,  such 
as  are  required  for  the  drainage  of  small  sloughs  or  swamps  and  as 
laterals  in  a  large  drainage  system,  has  been  commonly  done  in  the 
middle  West  by  means  of  a  capstan  plow. 

26.  General  Description. — This  type  of  excavator  consists  of  a 
large  plow,  hung  from  a  framework  mounted  on  two  trucks  and  thus 


Capstan  Plow. 
Figure  22. 

easily  moved  from  place  to  place.     A  typical  make  of  capstan  plow 
is  shown  in  Fig.  22. 

26a.  The  Plow. — The  plow  has  a  cast  steel  point  to  which  are 
fastened  sloping  sides  of  heavy  planking.     These  sides  have  a  slope 

40 


COST  OF  CAPSTAN  PLOW  WORK  41 

upward  and  outward  so  as  to  excavate  side  slopes  of  i  to  i.  At  the 
rear  ends  of  the  sides  of  the  plow  are  fastened  wings  made  of  heavy 
planking.  The  wings  are  vertical  planes  with  horizontal  top  and 
bottom  edges,  and  flare  back  from  the  sides  of  the  plow.  The 
cutting  edge  is  fastened  and  braced  to  a  long  beam  to  the  front  end 
of  which  is  fastened  the  ropes  or  wire  cables  which  lead  to  two  cap- 
stans set  ahead  of  the  plow  and  one  at  either  side  of  the  ditch  line. 
A  long  pole  projects  from  the  capstan  and  to  the  outer  end  is  hitched 
several  teams  of  horses.  These  are  driven  in  a  circular  path  around 
the  capstan,  the  drum  of  which  revolves  and  winds  up  the  rope  and 
cable,  drawing  the  plow  through  the  earth.  By  working  either  one 
or  both  capstans  together,  the  plow  may  be  moved  to  one  side  or 
straight  ahead. 

26b.  Sizes  of  Ditch.  —  There  are  two  sizes  of  capstan  plows  in 
general  use,  one  which  makes  a  ditch  16  in.  wide  on  the  bottom, 
8  to  gj  ft.  wide  on  top,  and  3  ft.  in  depth,  and  a  larger  size  which 
makes  a  ditch  with  a  cross-section  at  the  bottom  of  30  in.,  a  top 
width  of  9  to  ii  ft.,  and  a  depth  of  4  ft.  It  will  be  seen  from  the 
above  data  that  the  side  slopes  are  about  i  to  i. 

260.  Cost  of  Operation.  —  The  following  would  be  the  daily  cost 
of  operation  of  a  capstan  plow  outfit  used  for  the  cutting  of  a  drain- 
age lateral  ditch  through  loam  and  clay  under  average  working 
conditions.  The  size  of  plow  would  be  the  smaller  as  described  in 
Article  22b. 


Labor: 


i  foreman,  $4.00 

4  laborers,  @  $1.50,  6.00 

i  cook,  @  $35.00  per  month,  $1.40 

8  teams,  @  $2.00,  16.00 


Total,  $27.40 


Fuel  and  Supplies: 


\  cord  of  wood  for  cooking,  $1.00 

Rope,  oil,  bolts,  etc.,  for  machine,  0.50 

Total,  $i .  50 


Board  and  Lodging: 


Provisions,  groceries,  canned  goods,  supplies 

for  the  feeding  and  care  of  six  men,  $5 .  oo 


42  CAPSTAN  PLOWS 

Miscellaneous: 

Interest,  depreciation  and  repairs,  $1.00 


Total  cost  of  a  day's  operation,  $34 .  go 

Average  day's  excavation  is  about  60  rods  of  ditch 

Cost  of  excavation;  $34.90-1-60=  $0.58  per  rod. 

Contract  price,  $i .  oo  per  rod. 

27.  R£sum<£. — The  capstan  plow  has  been  generally  used  in  the 
middle  west  in  the  construction  of  small  drainage  ditches.  It  is 
popular  with  the  average  farmer  because  the  work  is  easily,  quickly, 
and  cheaply  done.  Where  the  surface  of  the  ground  has  a  uniform 
slope,  this  excavator  will  make  a  small  ditch  satisfactorily,  but  for 
undulating  or  uneven  land  it  is  useless,  unless  the  surface  is  pre- 
viously graded  off. 

As  a  general  thing  capstan  plow  ditches  are  too  small  and  where 
the  slope  is  light,  they  soon  fill  up  and  become  useless.  The  author 
has  seen  on  the  valley  lands  of  Iowa  and  South  Dakota,  many  such 
ditches  which  after  three  or  four  years  use,  were  nearly  filled  up  with 
debris,  silt,  weeds,  Russian  thistle,  tumble  weed,  etc. 

The  capstan  plow  can  only  be  used  efficiently  and  satisfactorily 
for  the  excavation  of  small  lateral  ditches  for  irrigation  and  drainage 
systems,  where  the  slope  of  the  ground  surface  is  uniform  and  suf- 
ficiently large  to  give  a  flushing  velocity  with  the  ditch  running  half 
full. 


CHAPTER  V 
STEAM  SHOVELS 

28.  Field  of  Work. — The  steam  shovel  has  been  used  extensively 
since  1865,  in  the  excavation  of  all  classes  of  material  and  on  all 
kinds  of  earthwork.     The  building  of  the  transcontinental  railroads 
soon  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  brought  about  a  demand  for 
power  shovels,  and  at  once  several  companies  were  making  shovels 
of  various  types.     The  principles  of  operation  of  all  makes  of  shovel 
are  the  same,  but  the  different  manufacturers  vary  the  design  and 
construction  of   the   parts  and   claim  therefore   special   operating 
advantages. 

The  steam  shovel  was  originally  used  in  making  the  cuts  for  rail- 
road work,  but  its  uses  in  recent  years  have  greatly  multiplied  until 
at  the  present  time  it  is  used  for  the  excavation  of  ditches  and  canals 
for  irrigation,  drainage  and  water-power  projects,  sewer  and  water 
trench  construction,  the  grading  of  streets,  the  building  of  reservoir 
embankments,  earthen  dams,  etc.  Where  the  job  is  of  sufficient 
size  to  warrant  its  use,  and  the  soil  is  firm  and  hard  enough  to  sup- 
port it,  the  steam  shovel  is  a  very  efficient  and  economical  type  of 
excavator. 

29.  Classification. — Steam  shovels  may  in  general  be  placed  in 
two  classes: 

First,  those  where  the  machinery  is  mounted  on  a  fixed  platform 
and  the  sphere  of  operations  is  limited  to  an  arc  of  about  200  degrees 
at  the  head  of  the  machine. 

Second,  those  where  the  machinery  is  mounted  on  a  revolving 
platform,  and  the  sphere  of  operations  is  within  a  circle  the  center 
of  which  is  the  middle  of  the  machine. 

The  first  class  may  be  divided  into  three  types,  depending  on  the 
manner  of  supporting  the  platform. 

(a)  Machines  mounted  on  trucks  of  standard  gage,  used  entirely 
in  railroad  construction. 

(b)  Machines  mounted  on  trucks  with  wheels  other  than  standard 
gage  and  used  in  railroad  construction  or  any  other  class  of  exca- 
vation. 

43 


44  STEAM  SHOVELS 

(c)  Machines  mounted  on  trucks  with  small,  broad  tired  wheels 
and  used  in  railroad,  street  and  any  other  class  of  construction. 

The  second  class  is  made  only  in  the  smaller  sizes  and  the  truck 
is  mounted  on  small,  large,  flat-tired  wheels  for  transit  over  ordinary 
roads.  These  light  revolving  shovels  are  especially  adapted  for 
the  excavation  of  small,  scattered  railroad  cuts,  street  grading, 
cellar,  trench  and  ditch  construction. 

The  machines  of  type  (a)  are  generally  preferred  for  railroad 
work.  A  wooden  or  steel  car-body  is  supported  on  two  four-wheel 
trucks  of  standard  gage.  The  crane,  which  is  generally  made  of 
steel,  is  so  arranged  that  it  can  be  lowered  to  pass  under  overhead 
bridges  and  through  tunnels. 

The  shovels  of  type  (b)  were  the  first  built  and  are  still  used 
on  general  work.  They  are  mounted  on  a  side  wooden  or  steel 
frame  or  car-body,  which  is  supported  on  four  small  wheels  of  7  ft. 


Bucyrus  Seventy  C  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  23. 

to  8  ft.  gage.  Great  stability  is  thus  given  to  the  machine  by  plac- 
ing it  near  the  ground  with  a  side  base.  For  transportation,  when 
near  a  railroad,  the  machine  is  placed  on  a  flat  car  and  the  boom 
removed  and  placed  on  a  separate  car.  Away  from  a  railroad  line, 
the  machine  can  be  readily  dismantled  and  shipped  in  sections  by 
wagons  or  boat.  This  type  of  shovel,  on  account  of  its  portableness 
and  quick  adaptability  to  all  kinds  of  work  in  any  locality,  makes 
it  desirable  for  general  use. 

These  three  types  differ  principally  in  their  method  of  support, 
but  otherwise  are  similar  in  their  details  of  construction  and  opera- 


CAR-BODY  45 

tion.     The  construction  of  the  first  and  second  classes  will  be  given 
separately  in  the  following  article. 

30.  Construction.  First  Class. — The  general  arrangement  is 
the  same  in  all  makes  of  steam  shovel.  On  the  platform  of  the  car- 
body  is  placed  the  operating  machinery  and  power  equipment,  the 
boiler  at  the  rear  end,  the  engines  near  the  center  and  the  A-frame 
and  boom  at  the  front  end  of  the  car.  Fig.  23  shows  a  Seventy 
C  Bucyrus  Steam  Shovel. 

CAR-BODY 

The  trucks,  whether  of  standard  railroad  type  or  special  con- 
struction, are  generally  placed  near  the  ends  of  the  car,  nearly  under 
the  boiler  on  the  rear  end  and  under  the  A-frame  on  the  front  end. 
For  type  (a)  of  this  class,  the  trucks  are  generally  the  extra  heavy 
M.  C.  B.  standard  with  all  steel  diamond  frames.  The  inside  axles 
of  both  trucks  are  chain  connected  to  sprocket  wheels  operated  by 
the  engine,  thus  furnishing  the  propelling  power  for  moving  the 
shovel  in  either  direction  along  the  track. 

The  frame,  supported  by  and  pivoted  to  the  trucks,  is  made  up 
of  steel  I-beams  and  channels  well  braced  longitudinally  and  trans- 
versely and  strongly  riveted  and  bolted  together.  The  frame  is 
floored  with  heavy  planking,  usually  3-in.  oak  or  yellow  pine,  upon 
which  rests  the  power  equipment.  The  size  of  the  car-body  varies 
with  the  capacity  of  the  shovel,  an  average  size  such  as  a  7  5- ton 
shovel,  has  a  length  of  40  ft.  and  a  width  of  10  ft.  The  ends  of  the 
frame  are  generally  equipped  with  automatic  couplers  of  an  approved 
type,  so  that  the  machine  may  be  coupled  into  a  train. 

As  the  car-body  is  subjected  to  severe  and  rapidly  repeated 
strains,  it  is  necessary  that  it  shall  be  very  rigidly  constructed  at 
the  front  end,  under  the  A-frame  supports,  and  the  turntable. 
Some  manufacturers  use  oak  timbers  between  the  steel  members, 
claiming  that  the  wood  acts  as  a  cushion  to  resist  the  continual 
twisting  and  wrenching  strains.  Doubtless  the  wood  does  add  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  elasticity  to  the  frame  and  tends  to  reduce  the 
tendency  to  shear  off  bolts  and  rivets  and  to  crystallize  the  steel. 
The  wood  should  be  of  the  most  durable  variety,  such  as  white 
oak. 

The  car-body  supports  a  framework  of  timber  or  steel  upon  which 
is  applied  a  sheathing  of  wood  or  corrugated  steel  to  form  the  sides 
and  roof  of  a  car.  This  is  necessary  to  protect  the  machinery  from 


46  STEAM  SHOVELS 

climatic  conditions.  In  the  later  types  of  dredges,  sliding  doors 
are  provided,  so  that  light  and  ventilation  may  be  had  in  pleasant 
weather. 

BOILER 

The  boiler  may  be  either  of  the  vertical  type  with  submerge'd 
flues  or  of  the  horizontal  locomotive  type.  The  former  is  more 
economical  of  floor  space,  but  the  latter  is  more  economical  in  the 
use  of  fuel,  and  for  this  reason  is  generally  used  in  the  larger  machines. 
The  boiler  should  be  of  ample  capacity,  as  it  is  often  worked  to  the 
limit  with  the  throttle  wide  open.  Steam  pressure  is  generally 
maintained  at  about  100  Ib.  with  a  blow-off  at  from  125  to  150  Ib. 

Water  should  always  be  supplied  to  the  boiler  through  an  in- 
jector by  means  of  a  feed-pump.  Water-  is  stored  in  a  sheet-iron 
tank  located  in  a  rear  corner  of  the  platform.  The  tank  usually 
has  a  capacity  of  about  1,000  gal.  or  enough  for  one-half  day's  opera- 
tion of  the  machine.  At  the  rear  end  of  the  platform  is  placed  a 
bin,  tank  or  open  box  to  hold  the  fuel  for  the  boiler  or  engine.  Coal 
and  wood  are  generally  used  for  steam  boilers,  while  gasoline  or 
kerosene  is  used  when  a  gas  engine  supplies  the  power.  The  water 
may  be  supplied  to  the  storage  tank  by  siphoning  or  pumping  it 
out  of  the  tender  of  a  locomotive,  a  tank  car,  or  a  tank  wagon. 

ENGINES 

The  engines  are  either  of  the  vertical  type  with  a  single  steam 
cylinder  or  of  the  horizontal  type  with  double  steam  cylinders.  The 
engines  control  the  three  principal  operations  of  the  shovel,  hoisting, 
swinging,  and  thrusting.  In  some  of  the  older  types  of  shovels,  all 
three  operations  are  controlled  by  one  engine.  This  type  has  three 
drums  mounted  on  one  shaft,  the  hoisting  drum  in  the  center  and  the 
swinging  drums  on  each  side.  The  latter  are  reversed  and  operated 
by  the  same  lever.  The  drums  are  actuated  and  controlled  either 
by  positive  gearing  or  friction  clutches.  The  former  is  slow  in 
operation  and  subjects  the  machinery  to  great  jarring  and  severe 
shocks  in  digging  hard  material.  The  latter  is  quick  and  smooth  in 
operation,  and  gives  a  minimum  of  shocks  in  hard  material,  but  is 
liable  to  bind  through  overheating  of  the  friction  surfaces.  To 
alleviate  this  source  of  trouble,  the  diameter  of  the  friction  drums 
should  be  at  least  twice  that  of  the  cable  drums.  The  positive  gear- 
ing generally  has  a  longer  life  and  requires  fewer  repairs  than  the 
friction  clutch,  but  the  latter  is  the  more  popular  at  the  present  time 


ENGINES  47 

on  account  of  its  rapidity  and  smoothness  of  action.  The  single 
shaft  with  its  three  drums,  rotates  continuously  in  one  direction 
under  the  action  of  a  large  steel  gear  driven  by  a  steel  pinion  on  the 
engine  shaft.  The  hoisting  chain  passes  over  a  sprocket,  at  the  top 
of  the  mast  or  the  foot  of  the  boom,  and  this  revolves  an  axle  to  which 
another  sprocket  wheel  is  fastened.  The  latter  operates  an  endless 
chain  which  revolves  a  drum  placed  on  the  upper  side  of  the  boom 
near  the  dipper  handle.  This  drum  is  controlled  by  a  friction  clutch 
and  operated  by  the  cranesman.  In  the  older  types  of  machine  a 
chain  is  attached  to  the  end  of  the  dipper  handle,  and  wound  around 
the  drum.  The  rotation  of  the  drum  raises  and  lowers  the  dipper 
handle.  In  later  types,  a  rack  on  the  bottom  of  the  dipper  handle 
moves  a  pinion  on  a  shaft  which  is  operated  as  described  above. 

The  recent  types  of  steam  shovel  use  a  small  independent  engine 
to  thrust  the  dipper  into  the  bank,  placed  on  the  upper  side  of  the 
boom,  and  is  of  the  double-cylinder,  horizontal  type.  It  operates  a ' 
set  of  gears,  which  revolve  a  shaft  on  which  is  set  a  steel  pinion  feed- 
ing into  a  steel-toothed  rack  on  the  bottom  side  of  the  dipper  handle. 
The  engine  may  be  either  reversible  or  controlled  by  a  friction  clutch. 
With  the  use  of  the  former  type,  the  dipper  handle  is  always  actuated 
and  controlled  by  the  engine,  while  with  the  latter  type,  the  release 
of  the  friction  allows  the  dipper  and  handle  to  lower  by  gravity. 

Instead  of  having  the  swinging  of  the  boom  actuated  from  the  main 
engine,  some  makes  of  steam  shovel  use  an  independent  swinging 
engine.  This  is  usually  a  double-cylinder  horizontal,  reversible 
engine  of  less  power  than  the  main  or  hoisting  engine.  A  chain  or 
cable  passes  around  the  swinging  circle  and  is  wound  around  the  drum 
of  the  engine,  starting  from  the  two  ends  of  the  drum  in  opposite 
directions. 

The  size  of  the  engines  vary  with  the  type  used  and  the  capacity  of 
the  shovel.  They  should  be  made  of  ample  power  for  use  in  the 
hardest  and  toughest  material.  The  power  of  an  engine  depends  on 
the  size  of  its  cylinders,  varying  from  6  by  8  in.  to  13  by  1 6  in. 
These  engines  are  subjected  to  almost  continuous  shocks  and 
vibratory  strains  and  should  be  made  of  the  very  best  and  strongest 
materials.  The  more  important  parts  such  as  the  shafts  and  gears 
should  be  of  the  best  tool  and  cast  steel,  respectively. 

BOOM 

The  boom  is  a  simple  beam  made  in  two  sections,  separated  far 
enough  to  allow  for  the  free  passage  of  the  dipper  handle.  It  may 


48  STEAM  SHOVELS 

be  constructed  of  wood  reinforced  with  steel  plates  or  entirely  of  steel. 
It  is  made  narrow  at  the  ends  and  wide  near  the  center  where  the  dip- 
per handle  rests.  The  greatest  strain  is  at  this  point.  It  is  made  of 
such  length  as  to  reach  14  to  20  ft.  above  the  track  or  ground  surface, 
and  to  swing  with  a  radius  of  from  15  to  20  ft.,  through  an  angle  of 
from  1 80  to  240  degrees.  The  lower  end  of  the  boom  rests  on  the 
swinging  circle  which  is  pivoted  to  the  front  end  of  the  platform. 
The  boom  revolves  with  the  swinging  circle.  Its  upper  and  outer 
end  is  connected  to  the  top  of  the  A-frame  with  steel  rods  or  bars. 
The  hoisting  chain  or  cable  passes  from  the  hoisting  drum  to  the 
fair  lead  or  sheaves  just  below  the  turntable,  then  up  over  the  aheave 
near  the  foot  of  the  boom  and  thence  along  the  boom  to  the  sheave 
at  the  outer  end  of  the  boom,  and  thence  to  the  shovel  at  the  outer 
end  of  its  handle.  The  revolution  of  the  hoisting  drum  lets  out  or 
draws  in  the  chain  or  cable  and  thus  lowers  or  raises  the  shovel. 

A-FRAME 

This  is  a  frame  made  up  of  heavy  steel  bars  with  timber  reinforce- 
ment or  entirely  of  structural  steel  posts.  The  feet  of  the  posts  are 
supported  on  each  side  of  the  platform  just  back  of  the  turntable. 
The  top  of  the  frame  carries  a  pivoted  cast-steel  head  block  to  which 
is  fastened  the  rods  or  bars  from  the  outer  end  of  the  boom.  The 
A-frame  is  given  a  slight  inclination  toward  the  boom  and  is  made 
several  feet  shorter.  The  height  of  the  boom  when  it  is  lowered, 
must  be  less  than  the  overhead  clearance,  where  a  shovel  has  to  pass 
through  tunnels  or  under  bridges,  or  in  railroad  and  street  work. 

DIPPER  HANDLE 

The  handle  to  the  lower  end  of  which  is  attached  the  dipper  or 
shovel,  is  generally  made  of  a  single  timber  of  white  oak.  Upon  its 
lower  side  is  fastened  the  toothed  rack  which  moves  over  the  pinion 
on  the  upper  side  of  the  boom.  The  operation  of  this  pinion  was 
described  in  the  section  entitled  "  Engines."  The  upper  edges  of  the 
handle  are  reinforced  with  steel  angles  or  bent  plates. 

DIPPER 

The  shovel  or  dipper  is  made  in  the  form  of  a  scoop  with  closed 
side,  open  top  and  a  hinged  door  for  the  rear  or  bottom.  It  is  made 
pj[  Jtxeavy  steel  plates  strongly  reinforced  at  top  and  bottom  with 


DIPPER 


49 


steel  bars.  The  top  or  front  edge  of  the  dipper  is  provided  with  a 
cutting  edge  of  flange  steel  for  soft  material,  or  of  heavy  forged  steel 
teeth  for  hard  material.  These  teeth  can  be  readily  unbolted  for 
sharpening  or  repairs.  The  bottom  of  the  bucket  is  of  heavy  steel 
hinged  to  the  rear  side  of  the  dipper,  and  closed  by  a  spring-latch  on 
the  front  side.  A  small  line  leads  from  the  door  to  the  side  of  the 


CAPACITY 

HEIGHT 

DIAMETER 

WEIGHT 

Cu.  Yd. 

Cu.Ft. 

Closed 

Open 

Closed 

Open 

Price 

X 

I8J4 

5-10" 

6-6" 

4-6" 

5'-7" 

1750  ibs. 
$472.00 

% 

28)4 

7-  4" 

7-10" 

5'-6" 

7-0" 

3450  Ibs. 
$650.00 

1 

27 

8'-  0" 

8-10H" 

6-0" 

7-1" 

4250  Ibs. 
$680.00 

IK 

33% 

r-sjr 

9-  2K' 

6'-3' 

7-3" 

4775  Ibs. 
$780.00 

IH 

40^ 

9  -  5" 

10'-  OK" 

6-6" 

8'-f 

6800  Ibs. 
$880.00 

2 

52 

10'-  0" 

ir-  2" 

7-0" 

8'-9" 

8400  Ibs. 
$1140.00 

Browning  Orange-peel  Buckets. 
Figure  24. 

boom  where  the  cranesman  stands.  When  the  filled  dipper  is  over 
the  car  or  wagon,  a  jerk  on  the  line  by  the  cranesman  opens  the  latch 
and  causes  the  bottom  to  drop,  releasing  the  contained  material. 

Dippers  vary  in  size  from  \  cu.  yd.  to  6  cu.  yd.  and  require  corre- 
sponding machines  weighing  from  10  to  130  tons. 

The  shape  of  the  dipper  and  the  character  of  the  cutting  edge  should 
depend  on  the  character  of  the  material  to  be  excavated.  Teeth 


50 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


should  be  used  as  a  cutting  edge  for  hard  material,  while  they  cause 
considerable  trouble  in  dumping  in  removing  sticky  clay.  For  sand, 
gravel  and  the  average  clay  and  loam,  a  wide  smooth  cutting  edge 
should  be  used.  A  large,  wide  dipper  should  be  used  when  the 
material  is  filled  with  large  stone  or  boulders.  For  soft,  loose  material 
such  as  sand,  loose  gravel  and  dry  earth,  the  shovel  should  be  deep 


Capacity 

$    Height 

length 

^5 

3 

Weight 

Weight 

Cu. 
Yd. 

Cu. 
Ft. 

13K 

Closed 

O 

O 

a 

1 

Price 

Price 

No  Shoes 

With  Shoes 

K 
% 

5-8" 

6-9' 

5-0 

5'-4" 

6'-0" 

2-5" 

2100  Ibs. 
$350.00 

2300  Ibs. 
$375  00 

20K 

6-1" 

\'-1- 

6-7" 

3-1" 

2500  Ibs. 
'$400.00 

2750  Ibs. 
$450.00 

1 

27 

6-5" 

T'-W 

5'-8" 

7-2' 

3-1" 

26CO  Ibs. 
$425.00 

2&50  Ibs. 
$475.00 

IX 

2 

40K 

7-2" 

8'-5%" 

6'-4' 

8-0" 

3-7" 

4500  Ibs. 
$475.00 

4900  Ibs. 
$525.00 

54 

7'-8" 

8-11H- 

6'-8" 

8'-7" 

4-1" 

4800  Ibs. 
$550,00 

5875  Ibs. 
$600.00 

3 

81 

7-9' 

8'-7" 

6'-8' 

Q'-S" 

5-1" 

j 

8150  Ibs. 
$850.00 

Browning  Clam-shell  Buckets.11 
Figure  25.    i 

with  a  cross-section  nearly  square.  A  wide,  shallow-mouthed  dipper 
is  the  best  shape  for  the  excavation  of  cemented  gravel,  hard  dry 
materials  or  wet  clay.  The  bottom  of  the  dipper  should  be  slightly 
larger  than  the  top,  to  facilitate  the  dumping  of  sticky  material.  A 
great  deal  of  time  is  often  lost  in  cleaning  the  dipper  when  it  is  ex- 
cavating sticky  soils  such  as  gumbo.  A  sprinkling  hose  is  very  useful 


REVOLVING  SHOVELS  51 

for  removing  this  sort  of  material  from  the  sides  of  the  dipper,  and  to 
prevent  its  adhering. 

The  dipper  is  fastened  to  the  handle  by  means  of  heavy  forged 
arms  and  braces.  A  hinged  bail  connects  the  top  of  the  dipper  with 
the  hoisting  line.  In  some  makes  of  shovel  this  line  is  fastened 
directly  to  the  top  of  the  bail,  but  generally  it  passes  through  a  sheave 
in  the  top  of  the  bail  and  is  carried  up  and  fastened  to  the  boom,  near 
its  outer  end. 

TYPES  OF  BUCKETS 

Several  kinds  of  dippers  or  buckets  are  used  with  the  steam  shovel. 
The  dipper,  described  previously  is  the  type  generally  used  in  the 
excavation  of  ditches  and  canals.  The  ordinary  type  of  dipper  is 
shown  in  Fig.  26.  When  loose  sand  and  gravel  are  to  be  excavated, 
the  clam-shell  or  orange-peel  buckets  are  efficient.  Fig.  24  gives  the 
details  and  dimensions  of  a  standard  make  of  clam-shell  bucket, 
while  Fig.  25  gives  the  same  information  for  the  orange-peel  bucket. 
rt 

JACK-BRACES 

The  swinging  of  the  boom,  dipper  and  handle  from  side  to  side 
tends  to  tip  the  front  end  of  the  car.  To  prevent  this,  jack-braces 
are  placed  on  the  sides  of  the  car-body  at  the  feet  of  the  A-frame. 
These  braces  are  of  heavy  cast  steel  and  are  attached  to  the  platform 
at  their  upper  ends  by  means  of  cast  steel  hinges  or  sockets.  The 
lower  ends  carry  screw  jacks  which  can  be  easily  raised  and  lowered  to 
get  a  bearing  on  the  ground  surface.  The  lower  ends  of  the  braces 
are  connected  to  the  under  side  of  the  car-body  by  heavy  bars  or  rods. 
These  are  also  hinged  so  that  the  whole  brace  may  be  swung  back 
against  the  car-body,  when  not  in  use. 

3oa.  Revolving  Shovels.  Second  Class. — The  revolving  shovel  is 
built  on  lines  similar  to  the  revolving  locomotive  crane  which  has  been 
used  extensively  in  recent  years.  A  typical  revolving  shovel  as  made 
by  the  Bucyrus  Company  of  South  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  is  shown  in 
Fig.  26. 

As  this  type  of  shovel  is  intended  for  easy  transportation  over  roads, 
and  for  slight,  rapid  work,  the  supporting  base  is  small  in  area.  The 
lower  or  truck  platform  is  made  up  of  a  rectangular  frame  of  steel 
I-beams  and  channels,  strongly  braced  and  riveted  together.  This 
platform  rests  on  two  steel  axles,  the  front  one  pivoted  and  the  rear 


52 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


one  fixed  in  position.  The  rear  axle  carries  a  sprocket  wheel,  which 
is  connected  to  the  engine  with  a  chain,  providing  for  the  traction  of 
the  machine  under  its  own  power.  By  turning  the  front  axle  the 
direction  of  the  machine's  movement  may  be  governed.  The  wheels 
are  small  in  diameter,  of  heavy  solid  wood  or  open  steel  and  provided 
with  wide  tires.  Railway  wheels  of  standard  gage  are  provided 
when  the  shovel  is  to  be  operated  on  a  railroad  track.  Upon  the  top 


Bucyrus  Revolving  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  26. 

of  the  steel  frame  is  fastened  a  large,  heavy  steel  casting  which  com- 
prises a  circular  gear,  the  roller  track  and  the  central  journal  or  gud- 
geon, which  supports  the  revolving  frame. 

The  upper  frame  carries  the  machinery  and  the  boom  and  corre- 
sponds to  the  car-body  of  the  first  class  of  shovel.  This  frame  is 
made  up  of  steel  members  strongly  framed  together  and  covered  with 
a  floor  of  heavy  planking.  The  bottom  of  the  frame  has  a  heavy  cast 
steel  socket  which  fits  over  the  journal  of  the  lower  frame.  The 
whole  operating  mechanism  of  the  shovel  can  rotate  in  a  complete 
circle  about  the  lower  truck  frame. 


POWER  EQUIPMENT— REVOLVING  SHOVELS        53 

POWER  EQUIPMENT 

Ordinarily  the  revolving  shovel  is  provided  with  a  steam-power 
equipment,  consisting  of  a  vertical  boiler  and  engines  for  hoisting, 
swinging  and  thrusting.  The  hoisting  and  swinging  engines  are  usu- 
ally mounted  on  a  single  steel  base,  while  the  thrusting  engine  is 
placed  on  the  upper  side  of  the  boom. 

The  hoisting  engine  is  placed  on  the  front  end  of  the  platform  near 
the  pivoted  foot  of  the  boom.  It  is  reversible  and  has  a  single  drum 


Thew  Revolving  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  27. 

for  the  ordinary  dipper,  but  may  be  equipped  with  two  drums  when 
a  clam-shell  or  orange-peel  bucket  is  to  be  used. 

Behind  the  hoisting  engine  is  the  swinging  engine,  which  is  rever- 
sible and  geared  to  a  vertical  shaft,  at  the  lower  end  of  which  is  a  steel 
pinion  which  operates  on  the  circular  gear  or  rack  on  the  truck  frame. 

The  thrusting  engine  in  several  makes  is  similar  to  the  one  described 
above  for  the  shovels  of  the  first  class.  See  Article  26.  One  make, 
the  Thew  Automatic  Steam  Shovel,  uses  a  unique  method  of  thrust- 
ing or  crowding  the  dipper.  The  dipper  arm  is  hinged  to  a  carriage 
or  trolley,  which  slides  horizontally  along  a  trackway.  As  the  car- 
riage moves  forward  the  center  of  rotation  of  the  dipper  is  changed 
and  this  gives  a  prying  action.  The  sliding  carriage  is  made  up 


54  STEAM  SHOVELS 

of  heavy  steel  with  removable  friction-shoes,  and  is  operated  by  a  wire 
cable  moved  by  a  drum  geared  to  the  hoisting  engine.  The  movement 
of  the  trolley  is  controlled  by  the  cranesman  manipulating  a  throttle 
lever.  At  each  end  of  the  horizontal  track,  the  trolley  strikes  a 
"trip,"  which  automatically  cuts  off  the  steam,  thus  preventing 
accidents. 

Another  unusual  feature  of  this  shovel  is  the  construction  of  the 
dipper  handle.  This  is  made  of  steel  and  in  two  sections,  the  lower 
part  telescoping  into  the  upper  and  is  held  in  position  by  a  spring 
latch  which  engages  the  teeth  of  a  rack  on  the  lower  section.  The 
spring  latch  is  operated  by  means  of  a  lever  manipulated  by  the  cranes- 
man.  The  upper  section  of  the  dipper  handle  is  made  short  so  that 
the  upper  part  of  the  boom  may  be  laced  to  provide  lateral  stiffness. 

The  combination  of  trolley  trackway  with  the  short  dipper  handle, 
resulting  in  the  securing  of  a  considerable  prying  action,  is  very 
serviceable  in  the  excavation  of  tough  and  hard  soils. 

Figure  27  shows  a  Thew  Automatic  Steam  Shovel  excavating  the 
basement  of  a  large  building. 

Gasoline  power  can  be  used  to  great  economic  advantage  where 
coal  is  high  in  price  and  inaccessible.  A  gasoline  engine  is  mounted  on 
the  rear  of  the  platform  and  belt-connected  to  the  engines. 

31.  Electric  Operation. — In  a  large  city  where  electric  power  is 
cheap  or  along  the  lines  of  large  power  plants,  electric  power  can  be 
used  advantageously  for  the  operation  of  the  steam  shovel. 

The  best  field  at  present  for  the  operation  of  electric  shovels  is  in 
connection  with  electric  traction  railways,  where  the  power  is  at  hand 
and  obtained  at  a  low  cost.  In  this  case  the  shovel  is  mounted  on 
standard  trucks  and  is  either  hauled  or  self-propelling.  Where  electric 
power  can  be  bought  at  2  cents  per  kw.-hour,  the  cost  of  operation  is 
about  one-half  that  of  steam  shovels. 

The  power  equipment  of  an  electric  shovel  consists  of  a  motor  of 
from  50  to  200  h.p.  to  operate  the  hoist,  a  motor  of  from  25  to  80  h.p. 
to  operate  the  swinging  mechanism,  and  a  motor  of  from  25  to  80  h.p. 
to  operate  the  thrust.  The  various  sizes  of  motors  for  the  various 
capacities  of  shovels  is  given  in  the  following  table. l 

The  hoisting  and  swinging  engines  are  mounted  directly  on  the  rear 
of  the  platform  of  the  shovel  and  are  geared  to  the  drums  through 
reducing  gears.  The  thrust  motor  is  mounted  on  the  upper  side  of  the 
boom,  and  geared  to  the  pinion  gears  through  proper  reducing  gears. 

1  From  "Electrically  Operated  Shovels,"  by  W.  H.  Patterson.  Electric 
Journal,  Nov.,  1910. 


ELECTRICALLY  OPERATED  SHOVELS        55 


These  motors  are  generally  of  the  crane  or  mill  type  with  high  torque 
characteristic  and  are  reversing.  They  may  be  either  for  direct  or 
alternating  current. 

TABLE  IX 
SIZES  OP  MOTORS 


, 

Horse-power  of  motors 

Weight  of  shovels, 

Size  of  dipper, 

tons 

cu.  yd. 

Hoist 

Swing 

Thrust 

30 

i 

50 

30 

30 

35 

i| 

50 

30 

30 

35 

ij 

60 

30 

30 

35 

i* 

75 

35 

35 

42 

if 

.       75 

30 

30 

65 

2 

IOO 

35 

35 

95 

3* 

ISO 

50 

50 

100 

4 

200 

80 

80 

The  current  is  taken  from  trolley  wires  or  a  transformer  on  a  high 
power  line  and  is  received  through  the  truck  by  wire  cables.  On 
revolving  shovels  the  current  is  transmitted  to  the  motors  above 
through  copper  rings  on  the  truck  frame  and  carbon  brushes 
suspended  from  the  swinging  table  above. 

The  following  diagram  of  connections  for  an  automatic  magnet 
switch  control  and  description  are  given  by  W.  H.  Patterson  in  the 
Electric  Journal  of  November,  1910. 

"The  master  controller  has  two  running  positions  in  either  direction. 
The  first  position  connects  the  motor  to  the  line  with  all  the  armature 
resistance  in  series,  the  second  position  energizes  magnet  switches  F7, 
VII  and  VIII  through  the  accelerating  relay  IX.  These  switches  short- 
circuit  the  resistance  in  sections,  each  successive  step  being  delayed  until 
the  current  in  the  accelerating  relay  falls  below  a  fixed  value.  The 
various  positions  are  interlocked,  so  that  it  is  impossible  for  the  switches 
to  close  in  the  wrong  order.  The  master  controller  can  be  thrown  from 
full  speed  forward  to  full  speed  reverse,  without  damage  to  the  motor, 
as  the  starting  switches  for  either  direction  cannot  close  until  all  the  con- 
trol switches  are  opened  and  full  armature  resistance  has  been  connected 
into  the  circuit.  The  reversal  is  thus  made  in  the  least  possible  time  con- 
sistant  with  the  safety  of  the  motor. 

"In  case  of  an  overload  on  the  motor,  safety  relay  X  opens,  breaking 


56 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


the  control  circuit  of  switches  VI,  VII  and  VIII,  and  cutting  all  the  arma- 
ture resistance  into  the  circuit.  The  motor  will  then  exert  its  full  starting 
torque  continuously  until  the  overload  is  removed,  where  the  resistance 
will  be  automatically  short-circuited  again.  This  feature  of  the  control 
is  especially  valuable  for  shovel  work,  as  frequently  a  stone  or  log  may  be 
dislodged  by  a  steady  pull  when  it  cannot  be  moved  by  a  sudden  jerk. 
If  the  overload  current  exceeds  the  value  for  which  the  overload  relay  XI 
is  set,  the  line  switch  V  opens,  disconnecting  the  motor  from  the  line.  On 


^Overload  Trip  Opens     V 

SCHEMATIC  DIAGRAM 


Wiring  Diagram  for  Electrically  Operated  Shovel. 
Figure  28. 

moving  the  master  controller  to  the  off  position,  magnet  switch  V  is  reset, 
and  the  motor  may  be  started  again  in  the  usual  way." 

The  above  description  of  the  working  of  the  automatic  magnetic 
controller  used  with  a  series  overloaded  relay  explains  the  recent 
devices  used  to  overcome  the  objections  to  electrically  operated 
shovels.  The  sudden  stopping  of  the  dipper  in  the  bank,  due  to  cut- 
ting too  deep  or  striking  an  obstruction,  tends  to  stall  the  motor  and 
burn  it  out.  The  use  of  the  apparatus  described  in  the  above  quota- 
tion satisfactorily  protects  the  motor  against  such  overloads  by  cutting 
resistance  into  the  circuit  when  the  current  exceeds  a  fixed  value. 

"The  motor  driving  the  thrust  may  be  operated  either  by  a  drum 
controller  or  by  an  automatic  magnet  control.  The  motor  and  its  con- 
troller must  be  of  such  a  design  that  the  motor  will  be  able  to  develop  a 
heavy  torque  for  short  intervals  of  time  while  standing  still,  or  rotating  very 


THEW  STEAM  SHOVEL 


57 


slowly.  Its  duty  is  to  jam  the  dipper  against  the  bank  and  hold  it  there 
while  the  hoist  operates.  As  soon  as  the  dipper  strikes  the  bank,  the  thrust 
motor  ceases  to  revolve,  except  very  slowly,  but  must  still  exert  full  torque 
in  order  to  keep  the  dipper  against  the  face  of  the  cut.  Its  characteristics 
should,  therefore,  be  such  that  it  may  be  stalled  frequently  for  a  minute 
or  more  at  a  time  and  still  keep  developing  full-load  torque  without 
injury." 

"The  motor  driving  the  swinging  boom  may  be  operated  by  hand  con- 
trol if  provided  with  a  magnetic  brake  to  stop  the  motor  quickly  and  keep 
the  circuit  breaker  from  opening  if  the  motor  is  reversed  quickly;  or  may 
be  operated  by  automatic  control  without  a  brake." 


Diagram  and  Dimensions  of  Thew  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  29. 

In  swinging  the  boom  with  the  dipper  full,  it  has  been  found 
difficult  to  gradually  stop  the  boom  without  doing  injury  to  the 
structural  parts  of  the  front  of  the  machine.  In  the  case  of  a  steam 
shovel,  the  steam  is  used  as  a  cushion  to  counteract  the  momentum 
of  the  swinging  boom.  In  an  electric  shovel  some  appliance  such 
as  a  set  of  springs  operating  a  solenoid  brake,  must  be  used. 

Where  electric  power  is  accessible  and  inexpensive,  the  cost  of 
operation  of  an  electric  shovel  is  less  than  that  of  a  steam  shovel, 
for  the  following  reasons:  it  requires  less  lador  for  operation,  no 
fireman  is  required;  the  hauling  of  coal  and  water  is  eliminated;  its 


58 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


economy  of  power  is  greater,  as  the  power  is  used  only  when  in 
operation,  in  the  case  of  a  steam  shovel,  the  steam  must  be  kept 
up  continuously;  the  operation  is  quieter,  steadier  and  quicker 
than  that  of  a  steam  shovel. 

Figure  29  gives  a  diagrammatic  view  of  a  Thew  Automatic 
Steam  Shovel.  The  table  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner  gives 
the  dimensions  of  the  various  sizes. 

The  following  table  gives  the  size  of  the  various  parts  of  the 
Bucyrus  revolving  shovels. 

TABLE  X 
SPECIFICATIONS  OF  BUCYRUS  REVOLVING  SHOVELS 


Item      ' 

Class  of  shovel 

14  B 

i8B 

25  B 

32  B 

Dipper.  . 

fyd. 

15  \  tons 
14  tons 
10  ft.  6  in. 
30  ft.  6  in. 
47  ft.  6  in. 
5X6  in. 
4X5  in. 
4X5  in. 

lyd. 

21  tons 
1  8  tons 
ii  ft. 
33ft. 
Soft. 
6X7  in. 
45X5  in. 
4i  X  5  in. 

i  yd. 
25  tons 
225  tons 

12  ft. 

36  ft. 
52ft. 
7X8  in. 
5X6  in. 
5X6  in. 

ii  yd. 

35  tons 
32  tons 
13  ft. 
36  ft.  6  in. 
54ft. 
8X8  in. 
5X6  in. 
5X6  in. 

Working  weight 

Shipping  weight  

Clear  lift  

Width  of  level  floor  shovel  will  cut  .  . 
Width  of  cut  at  8  ft.  elevation.  .  .  . 

Size  main  engines 

Size  thrusting  engines          

Size  swinging  engines 

32.  Atlantic  Steam  Shovel. — The  American  Locomotive  Com- 
pany, several  years  ago,  in  an  endeavor  to  secure  the  highest  effici- 
ency in  steam-shovel  design,  devised  the  Atlantic  steam  shovel. 
This  machine  is  now  (1913)  manufactured  and  sold  by  The  Bucyrus 
Company  of  South  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 

This  machine  uses  the  wire  rope  instead  of  chain  for  hoisting. 
The  hoisting  engine  is  placed  upon  a  single  casting,  which  serves 
also  as  the  swinging  circle  at  the  foot  of  the  boom.  By  this  arrange- 
ment, the  hoisting  is  done  directly  with  one  sheave  instead  of  the 
general  indirect  hoisting  with  from  five  to  seven  sheaves.  Thus 
the  friction  of  the  chain  and  of  from  four  to  six  sheaves  is  eliminated. 

The  removal  of  the  hoisting  engine  from  the  platform  allows  the 
use  of  a  larger  boiler  with  greater  steaming  capacity. 


ATLANTIC  STEAM  SHOVEL 


59 


60 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


The  line  drawing  shown  in  Fig.  30  gives  a  clear  idea  of  the  arrange- 
ment and  construction  of  the  Atlantic  shovel.  The  following  table 
gives  the  specifications  of  the  four  sizes  made. 

TABLE  XI 
SPECIFICATIONS  OF  ATLANTIC  STEAM  SHOVEL 


Class 

25-n-i-l1 

45-16-2-* 

60-17-3-4 

80-18-4-^ 

Effective     pull     on 

25,000  Ib.          45,000  Ib. 

60,000  Ib.     i      80,000  Ib. 

dipper. 

Clear  height  of  lift 

ii  ft.  6  in.         16  ft.  6  in. 

17  ft.  o  in.    j     1  8  ft.  6  in. 

above  rail. 

Capacity  of  dipper.  . 

ij  cu.  yd.     |    2  \  cu.  yd. 

3^  cu.  yd.      3  to  5  cu.  yd. 

Width  of  cut  at  8  ft. 

42  ft.  o  in.     1    56  ft.  o  in. 

62  ft.  o  in.         64  ft.  o  in. 

elevation. 

Working  speed  per 

3  to  5  dippers 

3  to  5  dippers  3  to  5  dippers  3  to  5  dippers 

minute. 

Height    {  lowered.  . 

15  ft.  o  in. 

15  ft.  o  in. 

15  ft.  o  in. 

of  "A"  \ 

-frame    1   extreme.. 

14  ft.  6  in.        10  ft.  6  in. 

20  ft.  6  in. 

21  ft.  8  in. 

OI      A       \ 

-frame    (  extreme.. 

14  ft.  6  in. 

19  ft.  6  in. 

20  ft.  6  in. 

21  ft.  8  in. 

Wheel    base,    total 

1  6  ft.  o  in. 

(traction). 

Wheel    base,    total 

21  ft.  6  in. 

31  ft.  o  in. 

32  ft.  ii  in. 

36  ft.  o  in. 

(truck). 

Gage  of  track  

3  ft.  6  in.  to 

4  ft.  8J  in. 

4  ft.  8|  in. 

4  ft.  8$  in. 

4  ft.  8£  in.2 

Width  over  wheels 

ii  ft.  6  in. 

(traction  shovel). 

Fuel,  kind  

Bit.  coal 

Bit.  coal 

Bit.  coal 

Bit.  coal 

Coal  bunker  capac- 

4,000 Ib. 

8,000  Ib. 

8,800  Ib. 

8,800  Ib. 

ity. 

Car-body,  length.  .  . 

24  ft.  n|  in. 

36  ft.  o  in. 

38  ft.  o  in. 

42  ft.  o  in. 

Car-body,  width  

7  ft.  o    in. 

10  ft.  o  in. 

10  ft.  o  in. 

10  ft.  o  in. 

Water  tanks,  No..  .  . 

2 

2 

2 

2 

Water  tanks,  total 

600  gal. 

1,950  gal. 

2,000  gal. 

2,000  gal. 

capacity. 

Size       f  main  

7lX8  in. 

10X10  in. 

iiXn  in. 

12X12  in. 

of        <   swing.  .  . 

6  X6  in. 

7X  Sin. 

8X  8  in. 

9X  9  in. 

engines   [  thrust  .  .  . 

6   X6  in. 

7X  Sin. 

8X  8  in. 

9X  9  in. 

Boiler,    outside    di- 

58 in.3 

46  in. 

50  in. 

52  in. 

ameter. 

Boiler,  length      .  .    . 

20  ft.  o  in. 

20  ft.  o  in. 

21  ft.  4  in. 

Boiler,  height  

9  ft.  o  in. 

Working      pressure 

125  Ib. 

I25lb. 

125  Ib. 

125  Ib. 

per  square  inch. 

OTIS-CHAPMAN  STEAM  SHOVEL 


61 


TABLE  XI— Continued 
SPECIFICATIONS  OF  ATLANTIC  STEAM  SHOVEL 


Class 

25-n-i-i' 

45-16-2-$ 

60-17-3-$ 

80^18-4-$ 

Firebox,  k 
Firebox, 
inside. 
Firebox,  w 
Firebox,  h 
Tubes,  nu 
Tubes,  dia 
Tubes,  len 
Heating   s 
tubes. 

ngth  

60  in. 
39  in. 

66  in. 

66  in. 

diameter 

idth  
eight  
mber  
meter.  ... 
gth 

Si*  in. 

44  in. 

46  in. 

96 
2\  in. 
12  ft.  n|  in. 
753-5  sq.  ft. 

26.  in. 
199 
2.  in. 
3  ft-  3  in. 
338  sq.  ft. 

2\  in. 
ii  ft.  6  in. 

528  sq.  ft. 

88 
2\  in. 
12  ft.  o  in. 
621  sq.  ft. 

urf  ace  , 

Heating   surface, 
firebox. 

32  sq.  ft. 

74  sq.  ft. 

92  sq.  ft. 

112.  2  sq.  ft. 

Heating   surface, 
total. 

370  sq.  ft. 

602  sq.  ft. 

713  sq.  ft. 

865.7  sq.  ft. 

Grate  area  
Weight    in    working 
order. 

15  sq.  ft. 
72,000  Ib. 

16  sq.  ft. 
146,000  Ib. 

20  sq.  ft. 
164,000  Ib. 

21.2  sq.  ft. 
203,000  Ib. 

Car    on 

45,500  Ib. 

83,900  Ib. 

93,000  Ib. 

118,700  Ib. 

own 

wheels. 

Shipping 
weights 

Boom 
and 
attach- 

29,000 Ib. 

45,300  Ib.      . 

57,800  Ib. 

60,700  Ib. 

ments. 

t 

Total... 

74,500  Ib. 

129,200  Ib. 

150,800  Ib. 

179,400  Ib. 

Figure  31  shows  the  limitations  of  operation  of  the  Atlantic 
Steam  Shovel,  and  Figs.  32  and  33  illustrate  its  use  in  excavating 
ore  from  an  iron  mine. 

33.  Otis  Chapman  Steam  Shovel. — This  excavator  has  been 
used  with  success  since  the  early  days  of  railroad  construction  in 
this  country.  It  is  built  by  John  Souther  &  Company  of  Boston, 
Mass.  It  is  made  in  sections  which  can  be  easily  and  rapidly  taken 
apart  and  assembled.  Thus  it  is  especially  adapted  for  work  in  a 

1  The  Class  25-11-1-^  is  mounted  either  upon  railroad  trucks  or  upon  broad 
tread  traction  wheels  for  use  without  tracks.     When  mounted  on  trucks  it  is 
built  for  track  gages  of  from  3  ft.  6  in.  up  to  4  ft.  8|  in. 

2  Mounted  on  railroad  trucks. 

3  Vertical  type. 


62 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


rough  or  inaccessible  country,  where  transportation  by  railroad  is 
not  possible.  Contractors  have  found  the  shovel  useful  in  large 
contracts  where  the  excavation  comprised  a  large  amount  of  ce- 
mented -gravel  and  hardpan. 


Diagram  of  Limitations  of  the  Atlantic  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  31. 


Atlantic  Steam  Shovel  Stripping  Iron  Mine. 
Figure  32. 

The  shovel  is  made  in  the  following  sizes: 
Railroad  mounted  standard  gage.    Length  of  frame,  30  ft.    Weight, 


OTIS-CHAPMAN  STEAM  SHOVEL  63 

35  tons.     Bucket,  2  cu.  yd.  capacity. 
Broad  (7  ft.  10  in.)  gage.     Weight,  25  tons.     Bucket,  2  cu.  yd. 

capacity. 
Special  narrow  gage.     With  broad  (7  ft.  10  in.)  gage,  for  working 

base  to  steady  machine.     Weight,  28  tons.     Bucket,  2  cu.  yd. 

capacity. 
Special  railroad  mounted.     Weight,  45  tons.     Bucket,  2!  or  3  cu.  yd. 

capacity. 
Small  standard  or  special  gage.     Weight,  20  tons.     Bucket,  i  cu.  yd. 

capacity. 


Atlantic  Steam  Shovel  loading  Dump  Cars. 
Figure  33. 

The  special  features  of  construction  of  this  shovel  are  shown  in 
Fig.  34.  The  frame  is  built  of  heavy  timbers,  steel  plated  and 
strongly  braced  and  bolted  together.  This  combines  elasticity 
with  light  weight.  The  usual  A-frame  is  replaced  by  a  circular 
iron  post  with  the  swinging  circle  pivoted  at  its  top.  The  pull  on 
the  swinging  circle  is  in  the  plane  of  the  point  of  application  of 
the  load  on  the  crane,  which  is  made  very  rigid.  This  feature 
assures  the  direct  application  of  the  power  when  swinging  and  gives 
it  an  economy  in  power  and  fuel. 

Figure  35,  a  view  of  the  machinery  of  the  3-yard  shovel,  shows 
that  the  power  is  applied  directly  to  the  hoisting  drum  by  positive 
gearing.  The  latter  is  made  in  the  proportion  of  5  to  i.  The 


64 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


OPERATION  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL 


65 


hoisting  gear  has  a  cordial  pitch  of  2  in.  and  the  swinging  gear  of 


n. 


The  swinging  device  has  24-in.  cone  frictions  and  can  be  operated 
independently  of  the  hoisting  drum.  By  throwing  over  a  small  lever, 
the  winch  is  disconnected  from  the  swinging  drum  and  connected  by 
a  gearing  to  the  trucks.  The  same  lever  used  for  the  operation  of 


Machinery  of  Three-yard  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  35. 

the  swinging  drum  can  now  be  used  to  move  the  whole  machine  back- 
ward or  forward. 

The  bucket  or  dipper  is  made  wide  so  as  to  offer  a  long  cutting  edge 
for  scraping. 

34.  Operation. — A  steam  shovel  is  operated  by  a  crew  of  seven  men, 
the  engineer,  cranesman,  fireman  and  four  laborers.  The  engineer 
and  cranesman  directly  control  the  movements  of  the  machine.  The 
fireman  keeps  the  boiler  supplied  with  fuel  and  water  and  looks  after 
the  oiling  of  the  machinery.  The  laborers  are  generally  under  the 
direct  supervision  of  the  cranesman  and  their  duties  consist  in  the 
breaking  down  of  high  banks,  assisting  the  shovel  in  loading  material 
lodged  too  near  the  machine,  leveling  the  surface  in  front  of  the 

5 


66  STEAM  SHOVELS 

shovel,  laying  of  new  track,  operating  the  jack  braces  and  blocking  and 
for  general  service.  When  the  ground  is  hard,  from  two  to  six  extra 
laborers  are  required  to  break  down  overhanging  material  in  high  banks, 
drill  holes  and  blast  out  material,  assist  in  loading  the  shovel,  etc. 

The  engineer  stands  at  the  set  of  levers  and  brakes  placed  in  front 
of  the  machinery,  while  the  cranesman  is  stationed  on  a  small  plat- 
form on  the  right  side  of  the  crane  near  the  lower  end.  The  former 
controls  and  directs  the  raising  and  lowering  of  the  dipper,  the  swing- 
ing of  the  crane  or  of  the  whole  machine  with  a  revolving  steam  shovel, 
and  the  traction  of  the  whole  machine.  The  cranesman  controls  the 
operation  of  the  dipper  and  dipper  handle  regulating  the  depth  of  cut, 
releasing  the  dipper  from  the  bank  and  emptying  it  into  the  car, 
wagon  or  spoil  bank. 

The  act  of  excavation  commences  with  the  dipper  handle  nearly 
vertical  and  the  dipper  resting  on  the  ground,  with  the  cutting  edge 
directed  slightly  into  the  earth.  The  engineer  then  moves  a  lever 
throwing  the  hoisting  drum  into  gear  and  starting  the  engine.  The 
revolution  of  the  hoisting  drum  winds  up  the  hoisting  line  and  pulls 
the  dipper  upward.  At  the  same  time  the  cranesman  starts  the 
engine  which  controls  the  thrusting  of  the  dipper  handle  and  moves 
the  latter  forward  as  the  dipper  rises.  These  two  motions  must  be 
made  smoothly  and  coordinately  or  the  hoisting  engine  will  be  stopped 
and  the  wrhole  machine  tipped  suddenly  forward.  When  the  shovel 
has  reached  the  top  of  the  cut  or  its  highest  practicable  position,  the 
engineer  throws  the  hoisting  drum  out  of  gear  and  sets  the  friction 
clutch  with  a  foot  brake,  thus  bringing  the  dipper  to  a  stop.  Imme- 
diately the  cranesman  releases  his  brake  and  reverses  the  engine 
which  draws  back  the  dipper  handle,  thus  releasing  the  dipper  from 
the  face  of  the  excavation.  When  the  shovel  or  dipper  digs  clear  of 
the  excavation,  it  is  unnecessary  to  release  it  as  described  in  this  last 
motion.  The  engineer  then  starts  the  swinging  drums  or  engine  into 
operation  and  swings  the  boom  to  the  side,  until  the  dipper  is  over  the 
place  for  dumping.  With  a  foot  brake  he  sets  the  friction  clutch  and 
stops  the  revolution  of  the  swinging  drum  or  drums.  The  cranesman 
then  pulls  the  latch  rope,  which  opens  the  latch  and  allows  the  door  at 
the  bottom  of  the  dipper  to  drop  and  release  the  contents.  The 
engineer  then  releases  the  friction  clutch  by  the  foot  brakes  and  re- 
verses the  swinging  engine,  pulling  the  boom  and  dipper  back  to  its 
position  for  the  next  cut.  As  the  boom  is  swung  around,  the  engineer 
gradually  releases  the  friction  clutch  of  the  hoisting  drum  and  allows 
the  dipper  to  drop  slowly  toward  the  bottom  of  the  cut.  When  near 


COST  OF  OPERATION  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  67 

the  point  of  commencing  the  new  cut  and  as  the  dipper  handle  ap- 
proaches the  vertical,  the  cranesman  releases  the  friction  clutch  on 
the  engine  with  his  foot  brake,  which  regulates  the  dipper  handle. 
Thus,  as  the  last  part  of  the  drop  is  made  by  the  dipper,  it  is  also 
brought  into  the  proper  position  and  the  length  of  the  dipper  arm  set 
for  the  deginning  of  the  new  cut.  As  the  dipper  drops  into  place,  the 
bottom  door  closes  and  latches  by  its  own  weight. 

The  time  required  to  make  a  cut  and  dump  the  excavated  material 
varies  from  one-half  minute  for  loose  earth  or  gravel  to  three  minutes 
for  hard  and  dense  soils.  The  length  of  each  complete  operation 
depends  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  skill  and  experience  of  the  oper- 
ators. The  motions  described  above  must  be  coordinated  to  produce 
a  smooth  and  harmonious  action.  The  machinery  should  always  be 
operated  with  care,  and  with  the  idea  of  securing  regularity  rather 
than  speed.  Many  engineers  will  tear  along  at  high  speed  for  periods 
which  are,  as  a  result,  usually  separated  by  longer  shut-downs  for 
repairs.  This  nervous,  spasmodic  method  of  operation  is  costly  and 
very  inefficient  and  is  usually  the  result  of  inexperience  on  the  part 
of  the  engineer. 

After  the  entire  face  of  the  cut  has  been  removed  within  the  reach 
of  the  dipper,  the  machine  is  moved  ahead.  When  the  machine  moves 
on  a  track,  a  new  section  of  track  is  laid  ahead  of  the  shovel.  The 
laborers  release  the  jack  screws  of  the  braces,  and  the  engineer  throws 
the  propelling  gear  into  place,  starts  the  engine  and  the  machine 
moves  ahead  3  or  4  ft.  The  jack-braces  are  then  set  into  position, 
the  wheels  blocked  and  the  shovel  is  ready  for  another  series  of  cuts. l 

The  scope  of  this  book  does  not  permit  of  a  discussion  of  the  system 
and  methods  used  in  various  classes  of  steam-shovel  work.  The 
reader  is  referred  to  the  excellent  discussion  of  this  subject  in  "  Steam 
Shovels  and  Steam-shovel  Work,"  by  E.  A.  Hermann,  and  to  the 
" Handbook  of  Steam-shovel  Work,"  comprising  "A  Report  by  the 
Construction  Service  Co.  to  The  Bucyrus  Company." 

35.  Cost  of  Operation. — The  cost  of  operating  a  steam  shovel 
depends  upon  the  class  of  work,  the  kind  of  material  to  be  excavated, 
the  size  and  efficiency  of  the  machine,  the  peculiar  conditions  affecting 
each  job,  the  facilities  for  removing  the  material,  etc. 

The  cost  of  operation  of  a  i\  cu.  yd.  steam  shovel  for  a  lo-hour  day, 
in  the  excavation  of  earth  and  gravel,  under  average  conditions,  would 
be  approximately  as  follows : 

1  See  "Handbook  of  Steam-shovel  Work,"  The  Bucyrus  Co.,  Chapter  X,  for 
directions  for  moving  shovel. 


68  STEAM  SHOVELS 

Labor: 

i  engineer,  $5.00 

i  cranesman,  3 .  50 

i  fireman,  2 . 50 

£  watchman  @  $50  per  month,  i .  oo 

4  pitmen  @  $i .  50,  6.00 
i  team  and  driver  (hauling  coal,  water, 

etc.),  2.50 


Total  labor  cost,  $20. 50 

Fuel  and  Supplies: 

2 1  tons  of  coal  @  $4,  $10.00 

Oil  and  waste,  i .  50 

Water,  .  50 

Total  fuel  and  supplies,  $i 2 . oo 

General: 

Repairs,  $5 .  oo 

Depreciation  (5  per  cent,  of  $15,000),  5.00 

Interest  (6  per  cent,  of  $15,000),  6.00 


Total  general  cost,  $16.90 

Total  cost  of  operation  per  10- 

hour  day,  $48 . 50 

Average  excavation,  2,000  cu.  yd. 
Average  cost  of  operating 

shovel,  $48.50-^2000  2.4  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

The  same  steam  shovel  used  in  the  excavation  of  a  stiff  clay  or  shale 
would  probably  require  the  services  of  two  extra  laborers  at  $1.50  a 
day  each.  The  average  daily  excavation  would  vary  from  800  to  i  ,200 
cu.  yd.,  or  with  a  mean  of  1,000  cu.  yd.,  the  cost  of  operating  the  shovel 
would  be  about  5  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

For  the  excavation  of  rock  which  requires  blasting,  the  crew  for 
earth  excavation  would  be  increased  as  follows : 

4  pitmen,  @  $i .  50,  $6.00 

2  laborers,  @  $i .  50,  3 .  oo 


$9.00 
The  amount  of  coal  used  would  be  increased  by  one 

ton,   making  an  added  fuel  expense  of  $4.00 

The  following  item  would  be  added  for  blasting: 

Dynamite,  powder,  caps,  fuse,  etc.,  $1.50 

Total  cost  of  operating  shovel  per  10- 

hour  day,  $63 .  oo 

Average  excavation,  800  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  operating  shovel,  8  cents  per  cubic  yard. 


SEWER  TRENCH  OPERATION         69 

The  above  statements  do  not  include  the  cost  of  transporting  the 
shovel  to  and  from  the  work,  the  cost  of  living  and  camp  expenses, 
office  and  other  incidental  expenses. 

The  cost  of  the  disposal  of  the  excavated  material  varies  from 
nothing  when  the  material  is  directly  dumped  upon  the  sides  of  the 
excavation,  to  1 5  or  20  cents  per  cubic  yard,  when  the  material  must 
be  hauled  a  long  distance  and  spread.  The  disposal  generally  consists 
of  two  operations — the  hauling  and  the  dumping.  The  cost  of  hauling 
varies  with  the  conveyance  used,  dump  wagon  or  car,  and  the  length 
of  the  haul.  On  railroad  work  the  cost  may  sometimes  be  increased 
by  delays  of  the  trains  of  dump  cars.  The  cost  varies  from  3  to  12 
cents  per  cubic  yard.  The  cost  of  dumping  varies  from  J  cent  per 
cubic  yard  for  wagons  to  i  J  cents  per  cubic  yard  for  cars. 

3$a.  Use  in  Southern  Texas.— An  irrigation  project  in  the  Rio 
Grande  Valley,  Texas,  included  the  construction  of  a  ditch  or  canal 
about  21  miles  long.  This  canal  had  a  bottom  width  of  16  ft.,  an 
average  of  4^  ft.,  and  side  slopes,  in  earth  2  to  i,  in  rock  i  to  5,  and  for 
embankments  if  to  i.  The  grade  of  the  canal  was  about  6  in.  in 
1,000  ft.  The  country  through  which  the  canal  passes  was  very  rough 
and  necessitated  many  heavy  cuts  and  fills,  a  34-ft.  cut  in  solid  rock 
being  made  in  one  place. 

The  work  included  the  excavation  of  90,000  cu.  yd.  of  solid  rock, 
120,000  cu.  yd.  of  loose  rock,  and  1,750,000  cu.  yd.  of  earth.  Steam 
shovels  of  a  standard  make  were  used  in  the  entire  work. 

The  daily  operating  cost  of  each  shovel  is  given  as  follows: 

i  engineer,  $5.00 

i  assistant  engineer,  5 .00 

i  fireman,  2.00 

i  coal  hauler,  2 .  oo 

i  water  hauler,  2 .  oo 

1  assistant,  2.00 

2  tons  of  coal  @  $3 .  50,  7 .  oo 


Total  operating  cost,  $25.00 

Each  shovel  excavated  on  an  average  of  1,000  cu.  yd.  of  earth  or 
500  cu.  yd.  of  rock  during  a  lo-hour  working  day.  The  size  of  the 
dippers  used  was  i  cu.  yd.  The  total  estimated  cost  of  handling  the 
earth  was  25  cents  per  cubic  yard  and  for  rock,  was  50  cents  per 
cubic  yard. 

35b.  Sewer  Trench  Excavation  in  New  York.— By  the  use  of  a 
specially  rigged  boom,  called  a  "trench  boom,"  the  revolving  type  of 


70  STEAM  SHOVELS 

shovel  may  be  very  efficiently  used  in  the  construction  of  large  trenches 
for  sewer  and  water  pipe.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1910,  in 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  a  i-yd.  steam  shovel  having  a  working  weight  of  30 
tons,  excavated  100  lineal  feet  of  sewer  trench  per  day.  The  trench 
was  60  in.  wide,  15  to  18  ft.  in  depth,  and  the  material  excavated  was 
very  hard  clay.  On  this  contract,  the  steam  shovel  was  more  efficient 
than  the  regular  trench  excavators,  as  the  former  was  not  delayed 
by  the  breakdowns  and  repairs  which  the  latter  required. 

At  Batavia,  N.  Y.,  a  i-yd.  dipper,  revolving  steam  shovel  exca- 
vated 85  lineal  feet  of  sewer  trench  per  day. 

Figure  36  shows  a  Seventy  C  Bucyrus  sewer  excavator  at  work. 


Steam  Shovel  on  Sewer  Trench  Excavation. 
Figure  36. 

350.  Irrigation  Work  in  Utah. — A  self- traction  steam  shovel  weigh- 
ing about  22  tons  and  equipped  with  a  J  cu.  yd.  dipper  is  being  used 
(1911-12)  in  the  construction  of  an  irrigation  ditch  on  a  project  in 
Grand  Valley,  near  Agate,  Utah.  The  ditch  is  10  ft.  wide  on  the 
bottom,  14  ft.  wide  on  top  and  2\  ft.  deep  in  level  country.  There 
are  several  deeper  cuts  through  hills,  the  maximum  depth  of  which  is 
10  ft.  The  shovel  was  run  along  the  bottom  of  the  ditch  on  4-in.  X 1 2- 
in.  timbers  which  served  as  a  track. 

The  work  involves  the  excavation  of  50,000  cu.  yd.  of  shale  and 
300,000  cu.  yd.  of  sandy  loam  and  clay.  Up  to  the  present  time 
(March,  1912)  the  material  excavated  has  been  loose  and  solid  shale. 


USE  ON  CHICAGO  DRAINAGE  CANAL 


71 


The  crew  on  the  shovel  consists  of  an  engineer,  a  craneman,  a  fireman, 
and  four  laborers.  The  average  excavation  has  been  200  cu.  yd.  per 
day  of  10  hours  and  the  average  cost  of  excavation  was  16  to  17  cents 
per  cubic  yard  (not  including  overhead  expenses).  In  the  excavation 
of  loose  shale  about  i  ton  of  coal  per  lo-hour  day  was  consumed  and 
2  tons  in  the  excavation  of  solid  shale. 

The  trench  was  5  ft.  wide  and  14  ft.  deep  and  had  to  be  braced. 
The  material  excavated  was  hard  blue  clay. 

35d.  Use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal.1 — On  Section  15  of  the  Lock- 
port  Division,  the  blasted  rock  was  loaded  by  two  Bucyrus  steam 
shovels  of  special  construction.  The  dippers  were  2\  cu.  yd.  in  capa- 
city and  equipped  with  three  teeth  each,  the  two  outside  teeth  being 
inclined  toward  the  middle  tooth. 

The  table  below  gives  the  output  of  the  two  shovels  for  four  months. 


Month 

Number  of  lo-hour 
shifts  worked 

Total  cubic 
yards  excavated 

Cubic  yards  exca- 
vated per  shift 

May,  1895.....,..,  . 
June,  1895  

108.9 

09  •  O 

.29,000 
28,850 

266 
291 

July,  1895  
August,  1895 

96.0 
IO2    4 

29,000 
31  800 

302 
310 

The  maximum  output  of  one  shovel  in  10  hours  was  600  cu.  yd. 

On  Sections  H  and  G  of  the  Summit  Division,  a  Victor  steam  shovel, 
Class  No.  i,  loaded  a  hard  brick  clay  into  Peteler  dump  cars  of  i  cu. 
yd.  capacity.  These  cars  were  hauled  by  teams.  During  the  months 
of  September,  November  and  December,  1894,  the  amount  of  material 
excavated  per  lo-hour  shift  were  662  cu.  yd.,  920  cu.  yd.,  and  841^ 
cu.  yd.,  respectively. 

On  Section  F  of  the  Willow  Springs  Division,  Bucyrus  steam  shovels 
were  used  to  load  the  very  hard  indurated  clay,  which  had  been  pre- 
viously blasted.  Each  shovel  loaded  two  trains  of  Thatcher  dump 
cars  and  handled  about  350  cu.  yd.  per  lo-hour  shift. 

On  Section  E  of  the  Willow  Springs  Division  several  small  Barnhart's 
type  AA  shovels  were  used  to  load  the  very  stiff  blue  and  yellow  clay, 
containing  large  boulders.  The  material  was  blasted  out  ahead  of 
the  shovels. 

The  following  table  gives  the  output  of  these  shovels  for  seven 
months. 

1  Abstracted  from  "The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Canal,"  by  C.  S.  Hill. 


72 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


Month 

Number  of  lo-hour 
shifts 

Cubic  yards  exca- 
vated per  shift 

December,  1894  

403 

January,  1895  

61 

242 

May,  180=; 

CQ 

6o8£ 

June,  1895  

63 

c78i 

July,  1895  

oa 

s62 

August,  i8o< 

67 

616 

September,  1895  

67 

560 

On  Section  D  of  the  Willow  Springs  Division,  Bucyrus  steam  shovels 
loaded  glacial  drift  and  rock  into  dump  cars  and  wagons.  The  follow- 
ing table  gives  the  records  of  wTork  done. 


Month 

Number  of  lo-hour 
shifts 

Cubic  yards  exca- 
vated per  shift 

September,  1894  
October,  1894  

1,221 

743 

November,  1894  
December   1894 

46 

338 
823  (a) 

December,  1894  
January   1895 

20 

504  (b) 
427 

May,  i8o<c.  . 

113 

C7q 

Tune   i8(K 

1  17 

ci7 

Tulv  1  80^ 

1  06 

^66 

August,  1  80^ 

117 

CIA 

September   1895 

IOI 

472 

(a)  Loading  into  cars. 


(6)  Loading  into  wagons. 


For  every  month,  except  December,  the  figures  given  in  the  above 
table  are  the  average  output  of  two  shovels. 

In  December,  two  shovels  worked  loading  cars  and  one  loading 
wagons.  In  September,  one  Bucyrus  shovel  of  the  No.  o  Boom  type 
and  one  " Special  Contractor's"  shovel  were  worked.  The  average 
of  the  same  shovels  per  working  day  per  shovel  was  1,123  cu.  yd. 

On  Section  C  of  the  Willow  Springs  Division,  two  steam  shovels  of 
the  Barnhart  Type  AA  pattern  were  used  in  the  excavation  of  the 
river  diversion  channel  near  the  old  bed  of  the  Desplaines  River.  The 
following  table  gives  the  output  per  lo-hour  shift  for  eight  months. 


USE  ON  CHICAGO  DRAINAGE  CANAL 


73 


Month 

Number  of  lo-hour 
shifts 

Excavation  per  shovel 
per  lo-hour  shift, 
cubic  yards. 

August,  1894  

September   1894 

is1 

820 

October,  1894  

AQ7. 

November,  1894  

77 

COS. 

December   1894 

(-08 

May,  1895  
June,  i8cK  . 

113 

177 

424.5 

4.73 

Tulv,  iSo1? 

I  24. 

•j  7  e 

1  Worked  only  a  few  days  on  account  of  flooding  of  channel. 

In  1894  two  shovels  and  in  1895  four  shovels  were  used.  Two  of  the 
four  shovels  generally  loaded  into  large  cars  hauled  by  locomotives  and 
into  two  small  cars  hauled  up  cable  inclines.  The  following  table 
gives  an  approximate  idea  of  the  relative  capacities  of  the  two  systems. 


Shovel 

Number  of  lo-hour 
shifts 

Cubic  yards  exca- 
vated per  lo-hour 
shift 

No.     10 

16 

I76(a) 

No.  140 

No.  301 
No.  339 

22 
36 

39 

539(a) 
4S3(b) 
53o(b) 

(a)  Small  ca,rs  and  incline  hoists. 


(b)  Large  cars  and  locomotives. 


On  Sections  B  and  A  of  the  Willow  Springs  Division,  four  Bucy- 
rus  special  contractors'  shovels  were  used  for  the  handling  of  the 
glacial  drifL  This  material  consisted  of  a  tough  gravelly  soil  inter- 
spersed with  a  large  number  of  boulders  varying  from  i  to  10  ft. 
in  diameter.  The  material  was  blasted  ahead  of  the  shovels. 

As  on  Section  C,  the  shovels  loaded  into  large  cars  hauled  by 
locomotives  and  into  small  cars  hauled  up  inclined  conveyors. 

In  November,  1894,  the  four  shovels  worked  97  lo-hour  shifts 
and  excavated  an  average  of  500  cu.  yd.  per  shift  each.  In  January, 
1895,  the  four  shovels  worked  103  lo-hour  shifts  and  excavated  215 
cu.  yd.  per  shift  each.  The  low  average  for  January,  1895,  was  due 


74 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


to  the  very  cold  weather  and  frozen  soil.     The  following  table  gives 
the  record  for  three  months. 


September,  1894 

October,  1894 

December,  1894 

AT           Vk 

of 

Number 

Average 

Number 

Average 

Number 

Average 

shovel 

of 

cubic  yards 

of 

cubic  yards 

of 

cubic  yard 

shifts 

per  shift 

shifts 

per  shift 

shifts 

per  shift 

172 

12 

433 

3 

567 

177 

28 

630 

12 

350 

28 

468 

179 

29 

•413 

35 

5H 

29 

469 

181 

29 

336 

50 

444 

36 

492 

The  following  table  gives  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  relative 
capacities  of  the  two  systems  of  loading  used. 


Number   of 

Number  of 

Cubic  yards  excavated 

shovel 

lo-hour  shifts 

per  lo-hour  shift 

177 

43 

27g(a) 

184 

38 

282(a) 

179 

20^ 

5°7(b) 

181 

25* 

482(b) 

(a)  Small  cars  and  incline  hoist. 


(b)  Large  cars  and  locomotive. 


On  Section  2  of  the  Lemont  Division,  two  yo-ton  Osgood  and  one 
6o-ton  Bucyrus  steam  shovels  handled  the  glacial  drift,  loading 
into  Peteler  cars  of  3  cu.  yd.  capacity.  The  cars  were  hauled  by 
teams  to  the  foot  of  cable  inclines,  thence  up  the  incline  by  cable 
and  from  the  top  of  the  incline  to  the  dump  by  teams. 

The  two  Osgood  shovels  worked  18  and  24  lo-hour  shifts  in 
October,  1894,  and  handled  340  cu.  yd.  and  395  cu.  yd.  per  shift  re- 
spectively. On  August  2,  1894,  one  of  the  shovels  excavated  the 
maximum  amount  of  1,248  cu.  yd.  (pit  measurement)  in  10  hours. 
The  same  shovel  made  the  largest  daily  average  of  690  cu.  yd. 
for  one  month.  The  largest  daily  average  was  made  from  June  6  to 
Dec.  31,  1894,  by  this  shovel  and  was  495  cu.  yd. 

The  Bucyrus  shovel  during  October,  1894,  worked  23  ic-hour 
shifts  and  handled  630  cu.  yd.  per  shift.  In  the  month  of  November, 


USE  ON  CHICAGO  DRAINAGE  CANAL 


75 


1894,  all  three  shovels  working  together  averaged  471  cu.  yd.  per 
shovel  per  shift  for  a  total  working  time  of  71  shifts. 

The  general  daily  average  of  the  three  shovels  for  the  whole 
working  time  was  415  cu.  yd. 

On  Section  4  of  the  Lemont  Division,  the  same  methods  of  exca- 
vation and  disposal  were  used  as  described  above  for  Section  2. 
Four  steam  shovels  were  used,  one  7o-ton  Osgood,  one  6o-ton  Bucy- 
rus,  special  contractors'  type,  one  45-ton  Bucyrus  boom  type  and 
one  45-ton  Bucyrus  crane  type. 

The  Osgood  shovel,  during  October,  1894,  worked  27  ic-hour 
shifts  and  handled  406  cu.  yd.  per  shift.  The  three  Bucyrus  shovels 
worked  27,  24  and  26  shifts  and  handled  760  cu.  yd.,  458  cu.  yd., 
and  480  cu.  yd.,  respectively. 

During  November,  1894,  the  three  shovels  worked  a  total  of  103 
lo-hour  shifts  and  handled  an  average  of  490  cu.  yd.  per  shift  each. 

The  No.  i  boom  type,  45-ton  Bucyrus  shovel  made  the  largest 
daily  excavation  of  1,530  cu.  yd.  (pit  measurement),  the  large 
monthly  average  per  day  of  791  cu.  yd.  The  largest  daily  average 
for  the  season  was  594  cu.  yd.,  made  by  the  60- ton  Bucyrus  shovel. 

On  Section  3  of  the  Lemont  Division  a  Victor  steam  shovel  was 
used  for  the  handling  of  the  glacial  drift.  The  material  was  dumped 
into  cars  of  3  cu.  yd.  capacity  and  hauled  in  train  loads  of  two 
cars  each.  The  following  table  shows  the  output  of  the  shovel  for 
eight  months. 


Month 

Number  of  lo-hour 
shifts 

Cubic  yards  excavated 
per     lo-hour    shift 

September,  1894  

21 

362 

October,  1894  

24 

316 

November   1894 

18 

77-2 

December,  1894  
January,  180^ 

25 
17 

392 

23<s 

May   i8(K 

22 

2O6 

June,  1895  

21.6 

380 

July,  i8cK 

21 

33° 

On  Section  5  of  the  Lemont  Division,  three  steam  shovels  were 
used  to  excavate  the  glacial  drift.  These  shovels  were  one  Bucyrus 
Special  Contractors',  one  Bucyrus  No.  i  Boom  and  one  Barnhart's 
AA  type.  The  average  output  of  these  shovels  for  the  months  of 


76  STEAM  SHOVELS 

May,  June,  and  July,  1895,  was  354  cu.  yd.,  440  cu.  yd.  and  348  cu. 
yd.  per  shovel  per  shift.  The  excavated  material  was  loaded  into 
dump  cars  of  ij,  2  and  3  cu.  yd.  capacity  and  hauled  to  the  foot  of 
the  incline  by  small  locomotives.  The  cars  were  then  hoisted  up 
the  incline  by  hoisting  engines. 

The  excavation  of  the  dry  material  of  the  Chicago  Main  Drain- 
age Canal  was  made  by  steam  shovels,  working  almost  continuously. 
A  large  part  of  the  material  excavated  was  of  a  hard,  stubborn 
character  and  the  indurated  glacial  clay  often  required  blasting 
before  the  shovels  could  handle  it.  The  following  general  figures 
give  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  average  output  of  the  shovels 
in  different  materials. 

Stiff  clay,  50-70  cu.  yd.  per  hour. 

Very  hard  clay  with  boulders,  blasted,  25~35  cu.  yd.  per  hour. 

Medium  hard  clay  with  boulders,  blasted,  30-40  cu.  yd.  per  hour. 

Cemented  gravel,  25~5°  cu-  yd.  per  hour. 

Hard  rock,  blasted,  25-30  cu.  yd.  per  hour. 

The  above  figures  are  average  results  for  the  steam  shovels  of 
1 8  years  ago,  but  with  the  more  efficient  and  powerful  shovels  of 
to-day  (1913),  they  should  be  increased  by  nearly  100  per  cent. 

35e.  Use  of  Electric  Power  Shovel  in  New  York.1— The  Chau- 
tauqua  Traction  Company  of  Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  for  the  excavation 
of  ballast  has  used  an  electrically  operated  shovel  made  by  the  former 
Vulcan  Steam  Shovel  Co.,  of  Toledo,  Ohio. 

This  shovel  has  a  car -body  27  ft.  long,  6  ft.  8  in.  wide,  mounted  on 
standard  railroad  trucks.  It  is  equipped  with  a  ij  cu.  yd.  dipper, 
which  has  a  clear  height  of  lift  of  12  ft.,  will  make  a  cut  at  level  of 
rails  of  26  ft.  and  will  dump  at  a  distance  of  4  ft.  6  in.,  either  way  from 
the  center  of  the  shovel.  The  power  is  furnished  by  three  electric 
motors;  one  for  hoisting  the  dipper,  one  for  swinging  the  boom  and 
one  for  thrusting  the  dipper  into  the  bank. 

The  hoisting  motor  is  75-h.p.  capacity,  and  is  equipped  with  an 
automatic  magnetic  controller,  a  circuit-breaker  and  a  series  over- 
load relay.  The  circuit-breaker  will  throw  off  the  current  when  the 
motor  has  attained  its  maximum  safety  power  and  thus  prevent  over- 
loading. The  series  overload  relay  relieves  the  motor  of  excess  cur- 
rent and  prevents  burning  out.  This  may  be  caused  by  the  sudden 
stopping  of  the  dipper  when  it  strikes  an  obstruction  and  the  resultant 
tendency  to  stall  the  motor. 

The  swinging  motor  is  30  h.p.  and  is  provided  with  a  circuit -breaker, 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  Jan.  6,  1909. 


USE  IN  MONTANA  77 

an  automatic  magnetic  controller  and  a  solenoid  brake.  The  brake 
is  an  electrical  device  which  serves  to  stop  the  motion  of  the  crane  at 
the  end  of  its  swing.  It  is  provided  with  a  clutch  operated  by  springs, 
which  act  as  soon  as  the  current  is  cut  off  from  the  motor. 

The  crowding  motor  is  of  30  h. p.  and  is  provided  with  an  automatic 
magnetic  controller,  a  circuit-breaker  and  an  overload  relay.  A  foot 
brake  operated  by  the  cranesman  furnishes  an  extra  safeguard  for  the 
holding  of  the  dipper  arm  in  place. 

The  following  table  gives  the  cost  of  operation  of  this  shovel  per 
hour. 

Labor: 

i  engineer,  $0.33 

1  cranesman,  0.25 

2  pitmen,  @  15  cents,  0.30 

Total  cost  of  labor,  $o.  88 

Power  and  Supplies: 

20,346  kw.  hours  @  o .  0088  cents,  $o .  18 

Oil  and  waste,  0.04 

Total  cost  of  power  and  supplies,  $0.22 


Total  cost  of  operation,  $i .  10 

Cost  of  operation  per  eight-hour  day,  $8. 80 

Amount  of  excavation  per  eight-hour  day,        534  cu.  yd. 
Cost  of  excavation,  $8. 80 -=-534  1.64  cents  per 

cubic  yard. 

The  material  excavated  was  a  mixture  of  gravel,  sand  and  clay. 
The  total  working  weight  of  the  shovel  was  about  40  tons. 

35f.  Use  on  C.  M.  &  St.  P.  Ry.  near  Newcomb,  Montana.1— The 
extension  of  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  St.  Paul  Railway  to  Seattle 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  was  made  in  many  places  by  the  construction  of 
large  trestles  across  valleys.  These  trestles  were  later  filled  in  and  a 
permanent  embankment  made.  The  Basin  Creek  bridge  required 
162,000  cu.  yd.  of  material,  which  was  excavated  by  a  steam  shovel 
in  the  Newcomb  pit  and  hauled  in  dump-car  trains  to  the  site  of  the  fill. 

The  following  tabulated  statement  gives  a  detailed  account  of  this 
work  for  the  month  of  March,  1909. 

Shovel — Bucyrus  No.  453,  2^-yd.  dipper,  weight  of  machine  65  tons. 
Engines — Prairie  type,  three  in  use,  tractive  power,  33,000  Ib. 

1  Abstracted  from  The  Railway  and  Engineering  Review,  July  10,  1909. 


78  STEAM  SHOVELS 

Cars — Western  dump,  average  load  12.6  cu.  yd. 
Trains — One  engine  hauling  13  cars,  and  a  caboose. 
Yardage — 68,000  cu.  yd.  handled  in  27  working  days  of  10  hours  each. 
Yard  miles — 308,780. 

Average  haul — 4.54  miles.     Rate  of  ascending  grade  against  loads,  88  ft.  per 
mile. 

Total  Cost,  Labor: 

Steam  shovel  pay-roll,  $1815.64 

Section  labor,  99 . 94 


Total,  $1915-58 

Work  Train  Service,  Labor: 

Conductors,  95.8  @  $3 . 68,  $352 .  54 

Brakemen,  191.6  @  $2.53,  484.75 

Engineers,  95 . 8  @  $4 . 40,  421.52 

Firemen,  95 . 8  @  $2 . 95,  282 . 61 

Total  labor,  $1541.42 

Fuel  and  Supplies: 

Supplies,  95.8  days  @  $0.32,  $  30.66 

768  tons  of  coal  @  $4,  3072.00 

1,916,000  gal.  of  water,  178.83 


Total  cost  of  fuel  and  supplies,  $3281 .49 

General: 

Depreciation,  81  days  @  $2.03  $164.43 

.    Interest,  81  days  @    2.03,  164.43 

Repairs,  81  days  @    3.00,  243.00 


Total  general  cost,  $571 . 86 


Total  cost  of  work  train  service,  $5394-77 

Fuel  for  Steam  Shovel: 

172.8  tons  of  coal  @  $4,  $691.20          $691.20 

Camp  Maintenance: 

Boarding  camp,  $174.27 

Commissary,  15 .74 

$190.01 


Total  cost  of  work  for  March,  1909,  $8191.56 

Excavation,  68,000  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation,  $0.1205    Per   cubic   yard. 


USE  IN  OHIO  79 

35g.  Use  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.1— The  four-tracking  of  the  Nickel 
Plate  Railway  through  Cleveland,  Ohio,  required  the  excavation  of 
a  cut  70  ft.  wide,  i6j  ft.  deep  and  600  yd.  long.  This  excavation  of 
about  50,000  cu.  yd.  was  made  from  May  7,  1909,  to  August  i,  1909, 
with  72  working  days  and  an  average  daily  output  of  60  carloads  of 
excavated  material.  The  latter  was  largely  hard  Cuyahoga  shale 
with  a  surface  soil  of  earth  well  mixed  with  large  boulders. 

The  shovel  used  was  a  75-ton  steam  shovel  of  standard  make.  The 
level  of  the  original  single  track  was  18  ft.  above  the  grade  of  the  four- 
track  bed  and  the  crane  of  the  shovel  had  to  use  a  lift  of  about  20  ft. 
in  order  to  dump  its  load  into  the  cars.  The  crane  of  shovel  had,  how- 
ever, a  lift  of  only  18  ft.  6  in.,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  construct  a 
service  train  track  2  ft.  below  the  grade  of  the  original  track. 

The  cost  of  excavating  and  dumping  the  50,000  cu.  yd.  of  the  main 
cut  is  given  in  the  following  table. 

Steam  shovel  engineer,      72  days     @  $5,  $360.00 

Steam  shovel  craneman,   72  days     @    3,  216.00 

Steam  shovel  fireman,       72  days     @    2,  144.00 

Steam  shovel  watchman,  72  nights  @    2,  144.00 

6  laborers,  72  days  @  $9,  648.00 

Switch  engine  engineer,     72  days     @  $3,  216.00 

Switch  engine  fireman,      72  days     @    2,  144.00 

Ploughman  for  unloadings,  72  days  @  $2,  144.00 

450  tons  of  coal  @  $1.20  per  ton,  540.00 


Total  cost  of  main  cut,  $2556.00 

The  excavation  of  the  service  train  track  required  18  days  addi- 
tional time  and  the  estimate  of  the  cost  of  this  work  is  made  on  the 
relative  amount  of  time  taken  to  that  for  the  main  cut. 

Dirt  train  track  (|  of  $2,496),  $624.00 

Steam  shovel  rent  for  90  days  @  $15,  1350.00 

Repairs,  $2.50  per  day  for  90  days,  225.00 


Total  cost  of  work,  $4755  •  oo 

Total  amount  of  excavation,  50,000  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation,  $0.0951  per  cubic  yard 

The  above  does  not  include  the  cost  of  bringing  the  equipment  to 
and  from  the  work,  the  depreciation  of  equipment,  interest  on  invest- 
ment, office  expenses,  etc. 

35h.  Use  for  Basement  Excavation  in  Chicago,  111. — A  Thew  Auto- 
matic Revolving  steam  shovel  was  used  during  June  and  July,  1910, 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering- Contracting,  August  25,  1909. 


80 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


for  the  excavation  of  a  basement  for  a  12 -story  building  on  Michigan 
Ave.,  Chicago,  111.  The  shovel  was  of  15  tons  weight  and  equipped 
with  a  f  cu.  yd.  dipper.  The  reach  of  the  boom  allowed  for  the  exca- 
vation of  material  within  a  radius  of  15  ft.  The  machine  was  sup- 
ported on  a  truck  with  four  broad-tired  wheels. 

The  excavation  was  241  ft.  long,  134  ft.  wide  and  14  ft.  deep  and 
the  total  amount  of  17,000  cu.  yd.  was  made  within  40  days.  The 
shovel  first  dug  its  own  pit  and  then  worked  across  the  excavation 
making  continuous  parallel  cuts.  The  dipper  dumped  into  wagons 
of  2  cu.  yd.  capacity,  which  passed  the  machine  on  a  movable  runway. 
A  three-horse  snatch  team  was  used  to  help  each  wagon  up  the  runway. 

The  labor  required  to  operate  the  shovel  was  an  engineer,  a  fireman 
and  two  pitmen.  The  average  excavation  was  400  cu.  yd.  for  a  10- 
hour  day.  The  shovel  loaded  31  dump  wagons  in  30  minutes. 

35!.  Use  in  Florida. — A  70- ton  Bucyrus  steam  shovel  was  used 
during  the  last  eight  months  of  the  year  1910  and  the  first  month  of 
1911  in  the  stripping  of  phosphate  beds.  The  work  was  done  during 
the  rainy  season  and  in  n-hour  working  days  of  one  shift  each. 

The  shovel  dumped  into  1 2-yd.  Western  dump  cars  which  made  an 
average  haul  of  about  i  mile.  The  average  yardage  hauled  per  car 
was  12.68  cu.  yd. 

The  following  table  gives  a  record  of  the  work. 


Month,  1910 

Number  of 
working  days 

Number    of 
cars  handled 

Amount  of 
cubic  yards 
handled 

May 

ii 

1,883 

23,366.8 

June.  . 

26 

4,327 

55,796.2 

July 

26 

3,978 

50,479.0 

August  

27 

4,043 

47,595-9 

September               

26 

4,726 

59,757-9 

October 

26 

3*212 

41,899.8 

November  
December 

26 

2S 

4,112 

3,411 

-54,855.7 
45,189.4 

January,  1911  
Total  

26 
219 

4,38l 
34,073 

.53,221.3 
432,162.0 

35J.  Use  in  Georgia.1 — The  Macon  Brick  Company  of  Macon,  Ga., 
uses  a  Vulcan  revolving  shovel  of  25-ton  weight  for  the  excavation  of 

lFrom  Engineering-Contracting,  April  12,  1911. 


USE  IN  ILLINOIS  81 

the  clay  for  brick  manufacture.  The  company  makes  from  50,000  to 
60,000  bricks  per  day  and  uses  about  100  cu.  yd.  of  clay. 

The  Vulcan  steam  shovel  is  equipped  with  a  f-yd.  dipper  and  a 
dipper  handle  12  ft.  long.  The  shovel  will  dump  12  J  ft.  above  the 
rail,  will  clear  a  floor  32  ft.  and  make  a  cut  40  ft.  wide  in  a  6-ft  bank. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  daily  cost  of  operation. 

Labor: 

i  engineer,  $3  .  oo 

1  fireman,  i .  25 

2  trackmen,  @  $1.25  2.50 

To  ;al  labor  cost,  $6.75 

Fuel  and  Supplies: 

600  Ib.  of  coal,  @  $3.50  per  ton,  $1.05 

Oil,  waste  and  repairs,  o.  50 

Total  fuel  and  supplies,  $i  •  55 

General: 

Plant,  interest  and  depreciation,  $i  .25         $i .  25 

Total  cost  per  day,  $9-55 

Average  daily  amount  of  excavation,     100  cu.  yd. 
Average  cost  of  excavation,  $0.0955  per  cubic  yard. 

35k.  Use  on  Railroad  Work  in  Illinois.1 — The  Burlington  System 
of  railroads  in  1906  made  two  improvements  in  location  on  the  Beards- 
town-Centralia  Division  in  Illinois.  They  are  known  as  the  Big 
Shoal  cut-off  and  the  Little  Shoal  cut-off. 

The  Big  Shoal  cut-off  was  a  change  in  alignment  and  grades  between 
Sorento  and  Reno,  Illinois.  The  total  amount  of  excavation  in  the 
improvement  was  318,711  cu.  yd.,  of  which  251,711  cu.  yd.  were 
steam-shovel  work.  Two  temporary  trestles  were  used,  having  a 
total  length  of  2,961  ft.  and  an  average  height  of  40  ft.  The  average 
haul  for  the  embankment  was  ij  miles  and  the  average  depth  of  cut 
15  ft.  The  material  handled  was  a  wet  clay.  The  stickiness  of  the 
excavated  material  made  its  handling  difficult  and  delayed  the  work 
to  some  extent.  The  trestle  was  designed  to  carry  a  loaded  train  of 
5-yd.  dump  cars  before  being  rilled  and  the  engine  in  service  after  be- 
ing filled.  Each  bent  consisted  of  two  soft  wood  piles  with  cap  and 
cross-bracing.  For  each  i3-ft.  span,  two  8X  i6-in.  stringers  were  used. 
The  stringers  were  removed  and  the  remainder  of  the  trestle  left  in 
the  embankment. 

1  Abstracted  from  Bulletin  No.  81  American  Railway  and  Maintenance  of  Way 
Association. 


82 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


The  Little  Shoal  cut-off  was  a  change  in  alignment  and  grades 
between  Ayers  and  Durley,  of  Illinois.  This  work  comprised  the 
handling  of  188,240  cu.  yd.  material.  This  was  about  40  per  cent, 
hard  pan,  which  was  as  hard  as  the  shovel  could  dig  without  blasting. 
A  temporary  trestle  was  used,  having  a  total  length  of  2,142  ft.  and  an 
average  height  of  35  ft.  The  average  haul  was  J  mile.  On  this 
work  the  shovel  and  trains  moved  over  6  per  cent,  grades  and  16  degree 
curves  without  difficulty. 

The  work  was  all  done  by  the  railroad  company  and  the  table  below 
shows  the  saving  made  over  contract  work.  This  was  done  in  spite  of 
the  disadvantages  under  which  the  company  worked,  such  as  working 
under  the  regular  schedules  and  the  lack  of  freedom  in  the  handling  of 
labor,  supplies  and  commissary. 

The  equipment  consisted  of  a  65-ton  Bucyrus  steam  shovel,  two 
30-ton  switch  engines,  43  dump  cars  of  5  cu.  yd.  capacity  and  a  Jordan 
spreader.  The  shovel  worked  228  shifts  of  10  hours  each,  two  per  day. 
The  average  output  was  1,104  cu-  yd.  per  shift  or  3.35  cu.  yd.  per  car. 
The  labor  employed  included  70  men  during  the  day  shift  and  28 
during  the  night  shift. 

The  following  table  gives  a  resume  of  the  cost  of  the  work  and  the 
comparative  cost  by  contract. 

TABLE   XII 
COMPARATIVE  COST  OF  COMPANY  AND  CONTRACT  WORK 


Big  Shoa 

1  Cut-off 

Little  Shos 

il  Cut-off 

Character  of  work 

Total 

Per 
cubic  yard 

Total 

Per 
cubic  yard 

Equipment 

$2   733 

i  o  cents 

$  2,911 

i  5  cents 

Steam  shovel  (labor  and 
supplies) 
Temporary  trestle  

23,351 

9,008 

8.9  cents 
3  .  6  cents 

18,136 
5,853 

9.6  cents 
3  .  i  cents 

Track-  work     

12,438 

5  .  o  cents 

7,817 

4.  2  cents 

Engineering    and    super- 
vision. 
Total  

610 
$48,140 

o.  2  cents 
18.7  cents 

487 
$35,204 

0.3  cents 
18.7  cents 

Total  by  contract,  at  26 
cents  per  cubic  yard. 
Saving  by  company  work. 

$65,445 
17,305 

26.0  cents 
7  .  3  cents 

$48,942 
13,738 

26.0  cents 
7.3  cents 

USE  IN  ONTARIO,  CANADA  83 

35!.  Use  in  Canal  Excavation,  Ontario,  Canada1. — The  work  done 
was  the  excavation  of  a  section  of  the  Trent  Canal  near  Trenton, 
Canada.  The  average  cut  was  ioj  ft.  and  was  side  cutting.  The 
material  was  gravel  and  was  loaded  into  cars  as  high  as  the  machine 
would  reach.  The  shovel  handled  16,000  cu.  yd.  from  June  i  to  12, 
1908,  the  average  haul  being  1,200  ft.  From  June  15  to  30,  20,000 
cu.  yd.  were  excavated  and  moved  at  an  average  haul  of  1400  ft.  The 
total  excavation  was  36,000  cu.  yd.  with  an  average  haul  of  1,300  ft. 

The  outfit  used  consisted  of  a  65-ton  Bucyrus  steam  shovel  with  a 
2i~yd-  dipper,  two  1 2-ton  Porter  dinkeys,  22  dump  cars  of  4  cu.  yd. 
capacity  and  about  |  mile  of  track.  The  cost  of  this  outfit  was 
approximately  as  follows : 

1  65-ton  shovel,  $  9,000.00 

2  i2-ton  dinkey  engines,  5,000.00 
22  4-ton  dump  cars  at  $230,  5,060.00 
1 6  tons  20-lb.  rails®  $3 2,  512.00 

1,000  ties  @  10  cents,  TOO.OO 

Total,  $19,672.00 

On  this  investment  of  $19,672,  2  per  cent,  was  allowed  for  interest, 
depreciation  and  repairs,  per  month,  making  a  monthly  charge  of 

$393-44- 

The  following  statement  is  based  on  the  fact  that  26  days  were 
worked  during  the  month.  The  shovel  worked  12  hours  per  day  and 
the  track  gang  and  water  wagon  10  hours  per  day. 

Loading: 

i  shovel  runner,  $125.00 

i  craneman,  90.00 

i  fireman,  60.00 

4  pitmen,  156.00 

1  team  hauling  water,  180.00 
50  tons  coal  @  $5,  250.00     . 
Oil,  waste,  etc.,  10.00 

Total,  $  871.00 

Hauling: 

2  dinkey  runners,  @  $3  per  day,  $156.00 
2  brakemen,  @  $2  per  day,  104.00 
i  oiler,  @  $1.75  per  day,  45-5° 
i  trackman,  @  $1.50  per  day,  -    39.00 

60  tons  coal  @  $5,  300.00 

Oil,  waste,  etc.,  16.00 

Total,  $  660.50 

1  From  Engineering-Contracting,  October  14,  1908 


84  STEAM  SHOVELS 

Dumping: 

i  foreman,  @  $3  per  day,  "  $  78.00 

1 6  laborers,  @  $1.50  per  day,  624.00 

i  water  boy,  @  $i  per  day,  76.00 


Total,  $  728.00 


Miscellaneous: 


i  superintendent,  $150.00 

i  timekeeper,  65.00 

i  watchman,  40.00 

Track  Gang: 

i  foreman,  @  $3  per  day,  $  78 .  oo 

5  laborers,  @  $i .  50  per  day,  195 .  oo 

Interest,  depreciation  and  repairs,  $390.00 


Total,  $  918.00 

Grand  total,  $3177.50 

Total  amount  of  excavated  material,        36,000  cu.  yd. 
Cost  of  excavation,  $3177.50-1-36,000  =  8.7  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

The  cost  of  excavation  may  be  divided  up  as  follows: 

Superintendence,  $o .  007 

Loading,  0.024 

Hauling,  0.018 

Dumping,  0.020 

Track  work,  0.008 

Interest,  depreciation  and  repairs,  o.oio 


Total,  $0.087 

35m.  Use  in  Ontario,  Canada. — During  the  year  1886,  an  Otis- 
Chapman  steam  shovel  working  in  its  fifteenth  season  handled 
200,943  cu.  yd.  of  gravel  on  an  average  haul  of  104  miles,  at  an  expense 
of  $7,479.  The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  cars  loaded  with 
gravel  by  the  steam  shovel  during  the  season;  the  cost  of  hauling  the 
same;  the  number  of  miles  of  track  ballasted  and  its  cost  and  the 
number  of  miles  of  old  ballast  dug  out  before  putting  in  the  new  ballast 
and  the  cost  of  this  work. 

This  work  was  done  on  the  Michigan  Central  Railway  in  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  comprised  the  excavation  of  the  gravel  from  the  Water- 
ford  pit  and  its  use  in  reballasting  the  tracks. 


USE  IN  MISSOURI 


85 


TABLE  XIII 
NUMBER  CARS  LOADED  AND  COST 


Month 

Number  hours  delay  and 
cause 

Cost 

Remarks 

No. 
cars 

Waiting 
cars 

Rain 

Rep'g 
shovel 

April  19  to  30..  .  . 

1,300 

Si 

4* 

6 

$  435-50 

Average  number  yards 
per  car,  9. 

Height  of  bank,  8  to 

12   ft. 

Cost  includes  coal,  oil, 
waste,  repairs,  labor, 
and  engine  service. 

Average      haul,      104 
miles. 

May  i  to  3  1  

3,142 

8 

9* 

1,052.5? 

June  i  to  30  

3,ni 

2 

1,042.  18 

July  i  to  3  1 

3,167 

I* 

17 

1,060.94 

August  i  to  3  1  ... 

3,030 

H 

i* 

1,015  .05 

September  i  to  30 

2,920 

1C* 

i 

i? 

978.20 

October  i  to  31... 

3,056 

I* 

1,023.76 

November  i  to  30. 

2,601 

»i 

2* 

87L33 

22,327 

40 

Si 

53* 

$7479-53 

Average  cost  per  car,  0.33!  cents,  delivered  road  bed. 
Average  cost  per  yard,  0.03^!  cents,  delivered  road  bed. 
Average  cost  per  car,  0.14!  cents,  steam-shovel  service  only. 
Average  cost  per  yard,  O.OI^Q  cents,  steam-shovel  service  only. 


35n.  Use  in  Missouri.  —  The  following  report  has  recently  (May, 
1912)  been  made  by  the  Superintendent  of  Mines  of  the  American 
Zinc,  Lead  and  Smelting  Company  of  Cartersville,  Missouri,  on 
the  use  of  a  Thew  Automatic  steam  shovel  in  their  mines. 

"There  have  been  no  breaks  in  any  part  of  the  machine  during  the 
three  months  it  has  run;  even  though  it  has  been  subjected  to  very  trying 
conditions.  The  repairs  are  very  light.  Of  course,  the  dipper  teeth  wear 
rapidly,  necessitating  a  new  set  about  once  a  month.  The  dipper  will 
last  about  6  months. 

"Owing  to  the  low  face,  averaging  from  12  to  15  ft.,  it  is  necessary  for 
the  shovel  to  move  frequently  to  get  its  rock.  The  bottom  is  practically 
level,  the  ore-body  being  a  bedded  deposit.  Pillars,  averaging  25  ft.  in 
diameter,  are  left  about  every  40  ft.  The  face  is  approximately  a  circle 
around  which  the  shovel  moves,  clearing  up  the  broken  rock  as  it  goes. 
The  material  handled  is  extremely  hard,  being  practically  nothing  but 
flint. 


86 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


TABLE  XIV 
COSTS  OF  STEAM-SHOVEL  WORK 


Item 

January 

February 

March 

2,778  tons 

3,238  tons 

3,950  tons 

Total 

Cost 
per  ton 

Total 

Cost 
per  ton 

Total 

Cost 
per  ton 

Shovel  men  
Conveying  to  shaft.. 
Compressed  air  
Oil  and  gasoline  .... 
Repairs  

$127.63 
184.72 
45-8i 
5-71 
10.98 

$0.0459 
0.0665 
0.0161 

O.OO2O 

o  .  0040 

$0.1345 

$159-68 
168.68 
62.86 
7.89 
27.78 

$o  .  0493 
0.0521 
0.0191 
0.0024 
0.0086 

$230.47 
91.86 
71.07 

7-35 
16.60 

$0.0583 
0.0233 
0.0180 
0.0018 
0.0042 

Total  

$374.85 

$426.89 

$0.1315 

$417.35 

$o.  1056 

"The  rock  is  conveyed  from  the  shovel  to  the  shaft,  a  distance  of  400  ft. 
in  a  can  or  tub,  running  on  a  small  car.  Each  can  holds  1,500  Ib.  Four 
or  five  of  these  cars  are  coupled  together,  and  pulled  to  the  shaft  by  a  mule. 
The  conveying  from  the  face  to  the  shaft  requires  four  men.  One  mule 
driver,  two  car  couplers,  and  a  man  to  run  the  empty  can  up  to  the  shovel 
and  the  full  can  to  the  coupler.  The  wages  paid  these  men  are  as  follows: 

Shovel  operator,  $  3 .  oo 

Shovel  helper,  2 .  oo 

Mule  driver,  2.  25 

Runner,  2 .  oo 

Two  car  couplers,  3 .  oo 


Total,  $12.25 

"The  power  cost  is  slight,  the  machine  running  on  compressed  air,  and 
consuming  practically  25  h.p.  The  table  herewith  gives  the  detailed 
costs  per  ton. 

"The  reduced  cost  for  March  was  due,  mainly  to  putting  in  a  mule  to 
haul  the  cars;  previous  to  this  they  were  run  by  men.  The  cost  per  ton 
by  contract  or  hand  shoveling  for  March  was  $o.im.  The  results  ob- 
tained here  show  that  the  automatic  shovel  is  adapted  for  underground 
work,  and  would  show  up  much  better  if  working  under  more  favorable 
conditions." 

35-0.  Use  in  North  Dakota.— The  Red  River  Valley  Brick  Com- 
pany of  Grand  Forks,  North  Dakota,  make  the  following  report 
on  the  use  of  a  No.  o  Thew  Steam  Shovel  for  the  excavation  of  clay 
in  their  brickyard  for  the  seasons  of  1909,  1910  and  1911. 


USE  ON  PANAMA  CANAL 


87 


TABLE  XV 

COST  OF  OPERATING  No.  0  THEW  STEAM  SHOVEL  FOR  THREE 
SEASONS 


Cost  per  working  day  for  season 

1909 

1910 

IQII 

Average 

AVages  of  engineer 

$2  69 

$3    A  "\ 

S  •?  66 

$3  26 

Wages  of  fireman  

2.  II 

2.OO 

2.16 

2.09 

Wages  one  laborer         .            .  . 

i  68 

2    OO 

2   18 

i  96 

Oil  and  waste  

O.  12 

0.08 

o  08 

o  oo 

Coal  at  $5.65  per  ton  

i-53 

1.81 

1.65 

1.67 

Water 

o  08 

O    IO 

o  08 

o  oo 

Repair 

O    3  3 

O    ^4 

o  29 

Total  cost 

$8    21 

$0    77 

$IO    3  ? 

$Q    4.^ 

Pounds  coal  consumed  daily  

565 

643 

597 

6O2 

Gallons  water  consumed  daily 

486 

62O 

4.80 

<^8 

Cubic  yards  clay  used  daily  

107 

32O 

27"? 

264 

Number  brick  made  daily  

90,000 

144,000 

124,000 

120,000 

Cost  loading  clay  per  thousand  

$0.09 

$0.07 

$0.084 

$0.082 

Cost  loading  clay  per  yard  

$0.04 

$0.03 

$0.038 

$0.036 

Cost  shovel  repairs  per  yard  

none 

$0  .  0009 

$0.0019 

$o  .  0009 

"If  we  were  only  making  60,000  brick  per  day  the  fireman  could  be 
dispensed  with,  but  the  shovel  supplies  clay  for  three  machines,  averaging 
48,000  per  day  for  each  machine  and  the  clay  bank  being  only  4  to  5  ft. 
deep  it  requires  the  three  men  but  not  hard  work  for  any  of  them. 

"Our  coal  is  weighed  every  day  by  the  steam-shovel  fireman  and  the, 
daily  record  is  on  file  in  our  office.  The  water  is  measured  by  individual 
meter  so  that  this  item  is  absolutely  correct. 

"The  cost  of  putting  clay  on  the  cars  at  a  yard  where  we  did  not  have  a 
shovel  was  9  cents  per  cubic  yard." 

35p.  Use  on  Panama  Canal. — The  following  notes  of  steam- 
shovel  work  have  been  taken  from  the  Canal  Record  and  several 
engineering  periodicals. 

Records  for  April,  1908,  in  four  construction  districts  of  the 
Culebra  Division  are  given  in  table,  on  Page  88. 

Shovels  in  the  "100"  class  are  70- ton  shovels  with  buckets  of 
2\  cu.  yd.  capacity.  Shovels  in  the  "  200"  class  are  95-ton  shovels 
with  dippers  of  5  cu.  yd.  The  shovels  operate  during  an  eight-hour 
day. 


88 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


Shovel 
number 

Location 

Excavated  material, 
cubic  yards 

Kind  of  material 

216 

Empire 

2,780 

Rock  and  earth 

124 

Empire 

i,  608 

Rock 

215 

Bas  Obispo 

2,904 

Earth 

127 

Bas  Obispo 

2,076 

Rock  and  earth 

202 

Pedro  Miguel 

2,600 

Earth 

123 

Pedro  Miguel 

1,469 

Earth 

222 

Culebra 

2,612 

Rock  and  earth 

152 

Culebra 

1,704 

Rock  and  earth 

On  March  2,  1909,  shovel  No.  220  removed  3,941  cu.  yd.  of  earth 
and  rock  in  an  eight-hour  working  day.  The  shovel  was  actually 
operating  during  six  hours  and  fifty  minutes,  the  remaining  period 
of  one  hour  and  ten  minutes  being  spent  in  waiting  for  cars. 

During  June,  1909,  the  following  records  were  made: 
Shovel  No.  204,  working  in  the  Culebra  District  excavated  49,767 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  in  25  working  days  or  an  average  of  1,990.7  cu. 

yd.  per  day. 
Shovel  No.  132,  working  in  the  Tabernilla  District,  excavated  30,021 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  in  25  working  days  or  an  average  of  1,200.8  cu. 

yd.  per  day. 
Shovel  No.  223,  working  in  the  Culebra  District,  excavated  3,268  cu. 

yd.  of  rock  on  June  24. 
Shovel  No.  132,  working  in  the  Tabernilla  District,  excavated  2,060 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  on  June  26. 

During  August,  1909,  the  following  records  were  made: 
Shovel  No.  223,  working  in  the  Culebra  District,  excavated  45,694 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  in  26  working  days,  or  an  average  of  1,757.5  cu. 

yd.  per  day. 

Shovel  No.   204,  working  eight  days  in  the  Culebra  District,  ex- 
cavated 16,755  cu-  yd.  of  earth  or  an  average  of  2,094.4  cu.  yd. 

per  day;  working  18  days  in  the  Empire  District,  excavated 

26,518  cu.  yd.  of  earth,  or  an  average  of  1,473.2  cu.  yd.  per  day. 
Shovel  No.  21 7,  working  in  the  Culebra  District,  excavated  2,549 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  and  rock  on  August  31. 
Shovel  No.  108,  working  in  the  Bas  Obispo  District,  excavated  31,299 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  in  26  working  days,  or  an  average  of  1,203.8 

cu.  yd.  per  day. 


USE  ON  PANAMA  CANAL 


89 


Shovel  No.  127,  working  in  the  Tabernilla  District,  excavated  1,750 

cu.  yd.  of  earth  on  August  14. 
During  May,  1910,  the  following  records  were  made: 


Shovel 
number 

District 

Excava- 
tion 
ear  tli 

Excava- 
tion 
rock 

Total 
excava- 
tion 

Working 
days 

127 

Chagres  

34,804 

34  8o4 

2  C. 

114 

211 

Chagres  
Empire 

31,303 

A  A     CQO 

31,303 
44   <OO 

24 

2IO 

Empire  

37,144 

37  144 

•5 

2  C. 

224 
2O8 

Culebra  
Culebra 

41,672 
4O  ?3O 

41,672 

25 

The  following  daily  records  were  made  during  May,  1910. 


Shovel 
number 

District 

Date 

Character  of  exca- 
vated material 

Excavation 
cu.  yd. 

in 

Chagres. 

May  6. 

Earth 

I   C.OO 

209 

Chagres  

May  3.  . 

Earth  

1,400 

in 

211 

Chagres  
Empire 

May  7  
May  12 

Earth  
Rock 

1,450 

2  432 

211 
2IO 

Empire  
Empire  .... 

May  ii  
Mav  23. 

Rock  
Rock             .      ... 

2,391 
2,16^ 

217 

Culebra  

May  5  

Rock  and  earth.  .  .  . 

3,477 

217 
208 

Culebra  
Culebra 

May  6  
May  23. 

Rock  and  earth.  .  .  . 
Rock           

3,249 
3,0^0 

231 

Pedro  Miguel...  . 

May  26  

Rock  

2,850 

The  monthly  records  were  based  on  place  measurement  and  the 
daily  records  on  car  measurement. 

The  following  table  gives  the  record  of  excavation  made  by  several 
70- ton  shovels  during  eight  months  of  1910  on  the  relocation  of  the 
Panama  railroad.  This  record  is  remarkably  good  considering  that 
the  work  was  done  during  a  very  rainy  season. 


90 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


Month, 

Output 

Average 

Number  of 

Output  p 

er  shovel 

1910 

cu.  yd. 

number 
of  shovels 

working 
days 

Per  day 
cu.  yd. 

Per  month 
cu.  yd. 

January  

206,  334 

8.24 

2C 

002 

25  O4O 

February      .  .    .  . 

214,4.11 

7   01 

2  3 

1  70 

27  106 

March  
April  

234,571 
212,007 

7-31 

7    1C 

26 
26 

,234 

140 

32,089 
20  648 

May 

212  135 

7  88 

2  C 

O77 

26  921 

Tune 

226  680 

8  oo 

26 

n8 

29  586 

July  

August 

197,069 
2  CO  341 

7-44 
7   04 

25 

27 

i,  060 

I  3l8 

26,488 

•j  r   r  7  r 

The  following  record  of  excavation  was  made  during  January, 
1910. 
Shovel  No.  223,  working  in  the  Culebra  District,  excavated  50,933 

cu.  yd.  of  rock,  in  25  working  days,  or  an  average  of  2,037.3 

cu.  yd.  per  day. 
Shovel  No.  219,  working  in  the  Culebra  District,  excavated  50,270 

cu.  yd.  of  rock  in  25  working  days  or  an  average  of  2,010.8 

cu.  yd.  per  day. 
Shovel  No.   in,  working  in  the  Bas  Obispo  District,  excavated 

27,688  cu.  yd.  of  earth  in  23  working  days,  or  an  average  of 

1203.8  cu.  yd.  per  day. 
Shovel  No.  218,  working  in  the  Empire  District,  excavated  3,009 

cu.  yd.  of  rock  on  January  8. 

The  steam  shovel  No.  213,  working  in  the  Culebra  District,  on 
March  22,  1910,  excavated  4,823  cu.  yd.  of  earth  and  rock,  place 
measurement.  The  material  was  loaded  on  235  Lidgerwood  cars 
and  the  division  of  time  was  as  follows: 


Time  loading  cars, 
Moving  up  20  times 
Waiting  for  cars, 
Coaling  shovel, 


5  minutes, 


Total  time, 


320  minutes 

100  minutes 

55  minutes 

5  minutes 


480  minutes  or  8  hours. 


The  expense  for  labor  and  supplies  is  given  below. 


USE  IN  SOUTH  DAKOTA  91 

Labor: 

i  engineer,  i  day  @  $7.56,  $7.56 

i  craneman,  i  day  @  $6.48,  6.48 

1  foreman,  i  day  @  $2. 83,  2.83 

2  firemen,  i  day  @  $1.67,  3-34 

1  laborer,  8  hours  @  $o.  13,  1.04 
7  laborers,  8  hours  @  $o.  16,  8.96 

Total  labor,  $30.21 

Supplies: 

5 \  tons  of  coal  @  $4.41,  $23.15 

3  gal.  of  car  oil  @  $o.  18,  o.  54 

2  gal.  of  valve  oil  @  $0.31,  0.62 
2  Ib.  of  cup  grease  @  $o.  10,  o.  20 
i  Ib.  of  gear  grease  @  $0.08  0.08 


Total  supplies,  $24 . 59 


Grand  total,  $54.80 

Total  excavation,  4,832  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation;  $54.80^4,832  =        $0.0114  per  cubic  yard. 

35r.  Use  in  South  Dakota. — The  construction  of  the  large  earthen 
dam  to  form  the  reservoir  of  the  Belle  Fourche  Project  of  the  Reclama- 
tion Service  involved  the  excavation  of  a  large  amount  of  gravel  and 
clay  and  its  transportation  to  the  site. 

The  dam  was  built  across  the  valley  of  Owl  Creek  near  Belle 
Fourche,  South  Dakota.  It  has  a  length  of  about  4,000  ft.  at  the  top; 
the  width  at  bottom,  near  the  center,  was  about  200  ft.,  height  at 
center  about  90  ft.  and  top  width  of  20  ft.  A  steam  shovel  was  used 
to  excavate  the  material  from  a  hill  near  each  end  of  the  dam.  The 
excavated  material  was  hauled  in  trains  of  dump  cars  upon  the  site, 
dumped,  spread  out  with  scrapers  into  layers  from  6  to  9  in.  deep, 
sprinkled  and  then  rolled  with  steam  rollers.  The  layers  were  not 
carried  clear  through  the  width  of  the  dam,  but  were  made  in  varying 
widths  and  thicknesses  so  as  to  break  joints. 

Mr.  F.  C.  Magruder,  Project  Engineer,  has  kindly  furnished  the 
following  information  as  to  the  methods  and  costs  of  this  work. 

Two  75-ton  Vulcan  steam  shovels  with  2^  cu.  yd.  dippers  were 
used  during  the  season  of  1908,  loading  trains  made  up  of  4  cu.  yd. 
side  dump  cars  hauled  by  1 8-ton  Davenport  dinkeys.  At  the  begin- 


92  STEAM  SHOVELS 

ning  of  the  season  one  shovel  was  moved  from  pit  at  north  end  of 
dam  to  a  pit  at  south  end,  a  distance  of  7,500  ft.  and  at  the  end  of 
season  was  moved  back  to  North  Pit  again.  The  cost  of  moving 
shovel,  dinkeys  and  cars,  amounting  to  $1,290  or  i  cent  per  cubic 
yard  excavated,  has  been  charged  in  the  South  Side  Shovel  costs. 

North  Side  shovel  had  an  average  cut  of  22  ft.  and  haul  of  4,800  ft., 
using  four  lo-car  trains  for  hauling.  South  Side  shovel  had  an  average 
cut  of  6.5  ft.,  haul  of  3,700  ft.  and  used  three  eight-car  trains.  On 
account  of  shallow  pit,  South  Side  shovel  made  15  cuts  during  the 
season,  while  North  Side  shovel  made  only  four  cuts.  Cost  of  moving 
shovel  back  in  pit  was  $0.011  per  cu.  yd.  and  $0.002  per  cu.  yd. 
respectively. 

Switches  were  placed  more  advantageously  in  North  Pit  than  in 
South  Pit,  causing  a  minimum  amount  of  lost  time  in  the  former 
waiting  for  trains  to  pass. 

Spreading  was  done  by  four-horse  fresno  scrapers  hauling  the  dirt 
about  50  ft.  each  way  from  the  track,  and  after  watering  with  2-in. 
hose,  was  leveled  by  four-horse  road  leveler  and  rolled  with  a  21 -ton 
traction  engine.  Track  was  shifted  13  ft.  every  third  layer. 

The  labor  cost  includes  all  cost  of  superintendence,  office  expenses, 
telegraph  and  telephone  bills  and  other  general  expenses.  Wages  for 
common  labor  were  $1.75  per  day,  working  10  hours  until  October 
26  and  8  hours  for  the  balance  of  the  season. 

The  repair  charge  is  made  up  of  the  cost  of  all  repair  parts  as  taken 
from  Hayes  Bros,  invoices,  together  with  the  labor  cost  of  putting  in 
those  repairs. 

Depreciation  charges  are  based  on  amount  of  work  to  be  done  by 
each  piece  of  machinery,  and  estimated  salvage  at  the  end  of  the  job. 

Supplies  include  coal,  oil,  waste,  boiler  compound,  packing,  hose, 
powder,  etc.  Coal  costs,  delivered  on  the  job,  from  $7.50  to  $10.50 
per  ton. 


USE  IN  SOUTH  DAKOTA 


93 


TABLE  XVI 
CONSTRUCTION  COSTS  OF  LARGE  EARTHEN  DAM 


Item 

South  side  shovel 

North  side  shovel 

Total 

Yardage,  126,885 
cu.  yd.  Daily 
average,  824  cu.  yd. 

Yardage,  185,005 
cu.  yd.  Daily 
average,  1,258  cu.  yd. 

Yardage,  311,940 
cu.  yd.    Daily 
average,  1,036  cu.  yd. 

Total  cost 

Cost  per 
cti.  yd. 

Total  cost 

Cost  per 
cu.  yd. 

Total  cost 

Cost  per 
cu.  yd. 

Excavation  : 
Labor  
Depreciation.  .  .  . 
Repairs  

1 

$6,669.04 
3,056.32 
1,890.00 
4,548.98 
15,862  .50 

$0.0526 
0.0241 
0.0125 
0.0358 
o.  1250 

$6,001  .63 
3,367-71 
1,815.81 
4,979-  17 
16,164.32 

$0.0324 
0.0182 
o  .  0098 
0.0269 
0.0873 

$12,670.67 
6,424.03 
3,405.81 
9,526.10 
32,026.66 

$0.0406 
0.0205 

O.OIIO 

0.0306 
o.  1027 

Total 

Hauling: 
Labor  
Depreciation.  .  .  . 
Repairs  
Supplies   
Total    

2,868.  19 
2,854-31 
1,974-QO 
5,232.32 
12,928.82 

0.0226 
0.0225 
0.0156 

0.0413 

0.  1020 

4,077-33 
4,404.81 
2,438.57 
7,178.44 
18,099.15 

O.022O 
O.O238 
O.OI32 
0.0388 
0.0978 

6,945  '52 
7,259.  12 
4,412.57 
12,410.  76 
31,027.97 

0.0222 
0.0233 
O.OI4I 

0.0398 

0.0994 

Main  track: 
Labor 

328.48 
164.30 
76.00 
567-78 

o  .  0026 

O.OOI3 
0.0006 

0.0045 

888.49 
448.90 

75-00 
1,412.39 

O.0048 

o  .  00^4 
0.0004 
0.0076 

1,216.97 

6l3  .  20 

150.00 
1,980.  17 

0.0039 

O  .  OO2O 
O.0005 
0.0064 

Depreciation  .... 
Repairs  

Total 

Temporary  track: 

2,486.09 
430.57 
125.00 
3,041  .66 

O.OI96 

0.0034 
0.00  10 

0.0240 

3,017.41 
746.50 
225  .00 
3,988.91 

0.0163 
0.0040 

0.0012 
0.0215 

5,503.60 
I.I77-C7 

350.00 
7,030.67 

O.CI76 
0.0038 
O  .  OOI  I 

0.0225 

Depreciation  .  .  . 
Repairs  
Total               .    . 

Spreading: 
Labor  
Depreciation  .  .  . 
Repairs  
Total  

7,117-25 
42.25 
3-00 
7,162  .  50 

0.0561 
0.0003 
o  .  ocoo 
0.0564 

10,068.46 
67.  13 
3-00 
10,138.59 

0.0543     ! 

O.OOC4 
o.oooo 
0.0547 

17,185.71 
109.38 
6  .  oo 
17,301  .19 

0.0552 
0.0003 
o.cooo 

0.0555 

Rolling: 
Labor  
Depreciation.  .  .  . 
Repairs  

880.60 

408.40 
1,245  .00 
1,247.34 
3,781.34 

0.0069 
0.0032 
0.0098 
o  .  0099 
0.0298 

1,121  .  II 
562  .60 
1,562.31 
1,854-86 

5,  in.  88 

0.0061 
0.0031 

0.0084 

O.OIOO 

0.0276 

2,001  .  7  1 
991  .00 
2,807.31 

3,093  -20 
8,893.22 

0.0064 
0.0032 
o  .  0090 
0.0099 
0.0285 

Supplies  
Total  

Watering: 
Labor  
Depreciation.  .  .  . 
Repairs  
Supplies  
Total  

1,114.91 
656.05 
124.00 

788.17 
2,683  .13 

0.0088 
0.0052 

O.OOIO 

o  .  0061 

0.02II 

1,400.51 
967.83 
182.88 
1,057-03 
3,608.25 

0.0075 
0.0052 

O.OOIO 

0.0057 
o  .  0194 

2,515.42 
1,623.88 
308.88 
1,845.20 
6,291  .38 

0.0081 
0.0052 

O.OOIO 

0.0058 

O.OIOI 

Total: 
Labor  
Depreciation  .... 
Repairs  
Supplies  

21,464.56 
7,612  .  20 
5,136.00 
11,814.81 

o.  1692 
0.0600 
0.0405 

0.0931 

26,574.91 
10,585  .48 
6,302.57 
15,060.50 

0.  1434 

0.0571 
0.0340 
0.0814 

48,039.50 
18,197.68 
12,438.57 
26,875.31 

0.1540 
0.0583 
0.0367 
0.0861 

Total 

46,027.57 

0.3628 

58,523.49 

0.3159 

104,551  .06 

o.335i 

94 


STEAM  SHOVELS 


355.  Use  in  Maine.1 — An  Otis-Chapman  shovel  has  recently  (1910- 
12)  been  used  for  the  excavation  of  earth  to  supply  material  for  the 
embankments  which  form  the  southerly  and  northerly  ends  of  the 
Aziscohos  storage  dam  near  Colebrook,  New  Hampshire. 

The  shovel  borrow  pit  was  located  on  a  hillside  about  500  ft.  from 
the  site  of  the  embankment,  and  the  slope  to  the  embankment  per- 
mitted gravity  transportation,  by  carts,  of  the  excavated  material. 
The  shovel  worked  most  efficiently  with  a  heading  face  of  from  6  to 
10  ft. 

The  material  was  very  compact  and  hard  to  work,  being  a  glacial 
deposit  of  a  clayey  nature,  locally  called  rock  flour,  with  about  5  to  6 
per  cent,  of  large  boulders  and  a  low  percentage  of  small  stone. 

The  total  amount  of  earth  excavated  by  the  shovel  was  23,614 
cu.  yd.  A  little  over  5,000  cu.  yd.  were  placed  by  hand  with  derricks 
and  skips,  double  shoveling  at  a  cost  of  $1.15  per  cubic  yard,  including 
superintendence  and  overhead  charges. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  cost  per  cubic  yard  of  the  various 
portions  of  the  work. 


Shovel  and  pitmen, 

Dumpmen  and  puddlers, 

Hauling  (cars), 

Grubbing  and  clearing  pit, 

Move  shovel  and  repair  shovel, 

Move  railroad  tracks  and  repair  cars, 

Total, 

Supt.,  insurance,  general  and  overhead 
charges. 


$o.  115  per  cubic  yard, 
o.  105  per  cubic  yard. 
0.039  Per  cubic  yard, 
o .  030  per  cubic  yard. 
0.022  per  cubic  yard. 
0.027  per  cubic  yard. 

0.338  per  cubic  yard. 
0.081  per  cubic  yard. 


Total  labor, 
Fuel  (wood), 
Plant,2 

Total  cost  of  bank, 


0.419  per  cubic  yard. 
0.014  per  cubic  yard, 
o.  206  per  cubic  yard. 

$0.639  per  cubic  yard. 


The  best  day's  run  was  408  cu.  yd.  in  n  hours  on  Sept.  17, 191?. 
The  detail  costs  for  that  day  were : 


1  From  report  of  Seth  A.  Moulton,  Portland,  Maine. 

2  Plant  charge  would  have  been  much  less  with  larger  quantity  to  move. 


AVERY  TRACTION  SHOVEL 


95 


Steam-shovel  men, 

Pitmen, 

Man  splitting  fuel  for  shovel, 

Dumpmen  and  spreaders, 

Hauling, 

Grubbing  and  clearing  pit, 

Repairing  cars  and  track, 


Total 

$11.25 
!5-95 

2.  2O 

18.55 

II.80 

6.60 

2.50 


Total,  $68.85 

Supt.,  general  and  overhead  charges  24  per  cent. 

(average), 


Total  labor  charge, 
Fuel, 


3-40 


Unit 

$0.0275 
0.0391 
0.0054 
0.0454 
0.0289 
0.0162 
0.0061 

0.1686 

o . 0404 

o. 2090 
o . 0083 


Total  without  plant,  $o.  2173 

36.  Avery  Traction  Shovel  Outfit. — A  form  of  steam  shovel  outfit, 
which  has  been  used  in  the  Middle  West  in  the  construction  of  drain- 


Avery  Traction  Steam  Shovel. 
Figure  37. 


Fig-  37 


age  ditches  is  the  Avery  traction  steam  shovel  and  crane, 
gives  a  general  view  of  this  machine. 

The  outfit  consists  of  a  locomotive  type  of  undermounted  traction 
engine,  and  a  shovel  framework.  The  latter  consists  of  a  steel  frame 
carried  on  two  wheels,  36  in.  in  diameter,  2o-in.  face  and  enclosed 
sides.  Supported  on  the  main  frame  is  an  upright  A-frame,  built 
of  steel  channels.  The  whole  framework  is  well  braced  with  steel 
struts  and  bars.  Supported  on  the  lower  or  main  frame  is  the  upper 


96  STEAM  SHOVELS 

frame  carrying  the  boom  and  machinery.  The  upper  frame  revolves 
on  the  lower  or  fixed  frame  by  means  of  a  large  gear  and  a  small 
pinion.  A  dipper  having  a  capacity  of  J  cu.  yd.  or  i  cu.  yd.  is  sus- 
pended from  the  end  of  the  boom.  The  shovel  and  boom  are  operated 
by  a  pair  of  drums  in  the  center  of  the  upper,  revolving  frame.  The 
power  for  the  hoisting  and  swinging  of  the  boom  and  shovel  is  furnished 
by  steam  carried  through  a  pipe  from  the  traction  engine. 

This  outfit  does  not  require  a  track  to  run  on  and  the  shovel  frame- 
work can  be  easily  dismantled  and  the  outfit  moved  from  place  to 
place. 

36a.  Use  in  South  Dakota. — One  of  these  steam-shovel  outfits  with 
a  32-h.p.  engine  and  f-yd.  shovel  was  used  during  the  years  1910  and 
1911,  in  the  construction  of  several  miles  of  lateral  ditches  to  the  Clay 
Creek  Ditch  in  Clay  County,  South  Dakota.  The  ditches  had  a  depth 
varying  from  3^  ft.  to  8  ft.,  bottom  width  of  3  ft,  and  a  side  slope  on  one 
side  of  i  to  i  and  on  the  other  side  the  excavated  material  was  wasted 
so  as  to  form  a  road  embankment.  The  material  excavated  was  a 
stiff  clay  and  loam  and  in  sections  a  hard  gumbo.  The  following  re- 
port of  the  construction  work  is  compiled  from  an  estimate  made  by 
the  operator  of  the  shovel  and  the  owner,  who  was  the  contractor. 

AVERAGE  DAILY  EXPENSE  OF  OPERATING  OUTFIT 

(Average  day  of  n  hours) 

Coal,  1,500  Ib.  per  day  at  $7  per  ton,  $5 .  25 

Water  hauler  using  four  tanks  of  water  daily,  4 .  oo 

Shovel  runner  at  $100  per  month,  4.00 

Trackman  at  20  cents  per  hour,  2 .  oo 

Swingman  at  20  cents  per  hour,  2 .  oo 

Fireman  at  20  cents  per  hour,  2 .00 

Cook  at  $30  per  month,  i .  20 

Board  for  six  people  at  $10  per  week,  i .  65 

Oil  per  day,  i .  oo 

Repairs  per  day,  estimated,  i  .00 

Depreciation  per  day  based  on  lo-year  life,  4.  25 
Interest  per  day  based  on  ro-year  life  and  150  working 

days  per  year,  2 . 60 


Total,        $30.95 
The  average  daily  excavation  was  500  cu.  yd.  making  the  cost  of 

the  work  6.19  cents  per  cubic  yard.     The  contract  price  for  the  entire 

work  was  nj  cents  per  cubic  yard. 
36b.  Use  in  Illinois.1 — Recently  in  Illinois  one  of  these  machines 

excavated  in  blue  clay  a  ditch  having  a  bottom  width  of  6  ft.,  an 
1  From  Engineering  News,  April  6,  1911. 


A  VERY  TRACTION  SHOVEL  97 

average  depth  of  6j  ft.  and  an  average  top  width  of  about  20  ft.  A 
3o-h.p.  traction  engine  furnished  the  power  for  the  operation  of  a  i-yd. 
bucket.  An  average  daily  progress  of  150  ft.  was  made  during  a 
month's  continuous  work,  while  a  maximum  day's  progress  of  400  ft. 
was  reached.  On  levee  work,  this  machine  handled  i  J  to  2  cu.  yd.  per 
minute,  in  excavating  heavy  gumbo  soil. 

Figure  38  shows  an  A  very   steam   shovel  constructing  a  typical 
drainage  ditch  in  Missouri. 


Avery  Traction  Shovel  Excavating  a  Drainage  Ditch. 
Figure  38. 

37.  Resume. — The  steam  shovel  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  and 
universally  useful  of  modern  excavators.  When  the  soil  is  sufficiently 
firm  to  support  it  and  the  work  is  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  warrant 
its  use,  it  can  be  used  economically  for  all  classes  of  work,  such  as  rail- 
road cuts,  the  excavation  of  streets,  trenches,  ditches,  cellars,  the 
stripping  of  ore  beds,  gravel  pits  and  clay  beds,  etc.,  etc.  It  can  be 
used  for  the  excavation  of  all  kinds  of  material  from  loam  and  clay  to 
hard-pan  and  rock.  Rock  in  formation  must  be  loosened  by  blasting 
before  the  shovel  can  handle  it. 

The  output  of  a  steam  shovel  depends  on  its  size,  the  character  of 
the  material  to  be  excavated,  the  efficiency  of  the  crew,  climatic  con- 
ditions, location  of  material  with  relation  to  the  shovel,  relation  of  shovel 
to  point  of  dumping,  efficiency  of  wagon  or  car  service,  etc.  When 
working  under  favorable  conditions,  the  maximum  working  capacity 
of  a  shovel  will  average  about  one-half  of  its  theoretical  efficiency. 
It  is  almost  impossible  to  keep  a  shovel  continuously  supplied  with 


98  STEAM  SHOVELS 

wagons  or  cars  and  even  so,  this  would  mean  perfect  operation  without 
delays  for  repairs,  breaks,  coaling,  watering,  oiling,  etc. 

The  cost  of  operation  and  capacity  of  a  steam  shovel,  as  stated  in 
the  previous  paragraph,  depend  on  a  great  many  factors,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  arrive  at  any  stated  values.  Recent  results  from  the  use 
of  steam  shovels  on  the  Panama  Canal  indicate  the  following : 

A  jo-ton  shovel,  equipped  with  a  2^-cu.  yd.  dipper  will  average  1,200 
cu.  yd.  of  earth  excavation  during  an  eight-hour  working  day. 

A  g$-ton  shovel,  equipped  with  a  5-01.  yd.  dipper  will  average  2,500 
cu.  yd.  of  earth  and  rock  excavation  and  2,000  cu.  yd.  of  rock,  during 
an  eight-hour  working  day. 

Fow  the  making  of  estimates,  the  author  would  suggest  adding  the 
following  to  the  estimated  cost  of  operation: 

Ten  per  cent,  on  initial  cost  of  plant  for  depreciation, 

Six  per  cent,  on  initial  cost  of  plant  for  interest  on  investment, 

Five  per  cent,  on  initial  cost  of  plant  for  repairs. 

The  small,  revolving  type  of  shovel  has  demonstrated  its  efficiency 
for  ordinary  jobs  such  as  small  railroad  cuts,  street  grading,  cellar 
excavation  and  for  use  in  the  clay  pits  of  brickyards  and  cement  works. 
The  electrically  operated  shovel  is  the  most  economical  for  electric 
traction  work  and  in  large  cities  where  the  current  is  accessible  at  a 
low  unit  cost. 

38.  Bibliography. — For  additional  information,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  following: 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896  by 
Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,  105  figures,  8  by  1 1  in. 

2.  Earth  and  Rock  Excavation,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1905  by  D. 
Van  Nostrand,  New  York.     421  pages,  167  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $3. 

3.  Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Engineer- 
ing News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     254  pages,  54  figures,  5!  by  7  in.,  cost  $2. 

4.  Handbook  of  Cost  Data,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Myron 
C.  Clark  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago.     1,900  pages,  4!  by  7  in.,  cost  $5. 

5.  Handbook  of  Steam-shovel  Work,  prepared  for  The  Bucyrus  Co.  of  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  by  The  Construction  Service  Co.  of  New  York.     Published  in  1911. 
374  pages,  85  figures,  4  by  6|  in.,  cost  $i .  50. 

6.  Mechanics  of  Hoisting  Machinery,  by  Weisbach  and  Hermann,  published 
in  1893  by  Macmillan  and  Co.,  New  York.     329  pages,  5!  by  8|  in.,  177  figures. 

7.  Steam  Shovels  and  Steam-shovel  Work,  by  E.  A.  Hermann,  published  in 
1894  by  Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     60  pages,  98  figures,  7 
by  9!  in. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

i.  Cost  of  Earth  Excavation  by  Steam  Shovel,  Daniel  J.  Hauer;  Engineering 
News,  December  31,  1903.  3,500  words. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  99 

2.  Cost  of  Excavating  Earth  in  Small  Quantities  with  a  Steam  Shovel;  Engi- 
neering-Contracting, October  7,  1908.     900  words. 

3.  Cost  of  Excavating  Earth  with  an  Electrically  Equipped  Shovel;  Engineer- 
ing-Contracting, July  22,  1908.     700  words. 

4.  Cost  of  Steam-shovel  Work  in  Railway  Betterment,  S.  T.  Neely;  Engineer- 
ing News,  August  9,  1906.     2,300  words. 

5.  Earth  Excavation,  H.  Contag;  Zeitschrift  des  Vereines  Deutscher  Ingenu- 
ieure,  September  3,  1910. 

6.  English  Navvies  and  American  Steam  Shovels,  A.  F.  Dickinson;  Cassier's 
Magazine,  November,  1910.     Illustrated,  2,200  words. 

7.  Excavating  Machinery  for  Quarry  Use,  A.  L.  Stevenson;  Quarry,  February 
i,  1902.     Illustrated,  300  words. 

8.  Improvements  in  Steam  Shovels,  Waldon  Fawcett;  Scientific  American, 
August  i,  1903.     Illustrated,  2,200  words. 

9.  The  Increasing  Capacity  of  Power  Shovels,  George  E.  Walsh;  Iron  Trade 
Review,  August  4,  1904.     1,400  words. 

10.  Keeping  Shovels  at  Work  at  Panama,  Fred  H.  Colvin;  American  Machin- 
ist, January  25,  1912.     Illustrated,  2,000  words. 

11.  Mechanical   Appliances  for   Canal   Construction,   E.  Leader   Williams; 
Engineering  News,  October  31,  1911. 

12.  Methods  and  Cost  of  Earth  and  Rock  Excavation  with  a  Steam  Shovel 
and  the  Cost  of  Repairing  a  Wrecked  Steam  Shovel;  Engineering-Contracting, 
August  5,  1908.     3,000  words. 

13.  A  Railway  Steam  Shovel  of  New  Design;  Engineering  News,  August  4, 
1904.     Illustrated,  2,800  words. 

14.  Record  of  Steam-shovel  Work,  Ann  Arbor  Railroad,  H.  E.  Riggs;  Engineer- 
ing News,  July  23,  1896.     800  words. 

15.  Sixty- ton  Bucyrus  Steam  Shovel;  Iron  Trade  Review,  February  6,  1896. 
Illustrated,  500  words. 

16.  A  Steam-shovel  Attachment  for  Derricks;  Engineering  News,  September 
28,  1911.     Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

17.  Steam  Shovels  in  Mines,   George  E.   Cobb;  British  Columbia  Mining 
Record,  December,  1903.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

18.  The  Steam  Shovel  in  Mining,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Proceedings  of  the  Lake 
Superior  Mining  Institute,  August,  1895.     3,800  words. 

19.  A  Steam  Shovel  of  Novel  Design;  Engineering  News,  December  17,  1903, 
Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

20.  Steam  Shovels  for  Trench  Excavation;  Engineering  News,  November 
7,  1901.     Illustrated,  1,400  words. 

21.  The  Thew  Steam  Shovel;  Railway  and  Engineering  Review,  March  19, 
1898.     Illustrated,  1,100  words. 

22.  The  Thew  Steam  Shovel;  Cleveland,  Lorain  and  Wheeling  Ry.;  Engineer- 
ing News,  April  n,  1911.     Illustrated,  900  words. 


PART  II 
DREDGES 


DREDGES 

Introductory. — As  has  been  pointed  out  in  the  preceding  Article, 
the  steam  shovel  is  not  well  adapted  to  the  excavation  of  ditches 
or  canals  in  wet  lands,  where  the  supporting  power  of  the  soil  is 
small.  The  base  of  the  steam  shovel  is  long  and  narrow  and  thereby 
concentrates  the  heavy  load  of  the  shovel  and  loaded  dipper  over  a 
small  area. 

The  crane  or  boom  of  the  steam  shovel  is  made  short  and  of  heavy 
construction  so  as  to  exert  a  great  pressure  within  a  small  space. 
With  the  demand  for  an  excavator  with  a  long  boom  for  the  re- 
moval of  the  material  to  spoil  banks  distant  from  the  excavation, 
and  also  for  a  wide  base  over  which  to  distribute  the  load  as  a  small 
unit  pressure  over  soft  soil,  the  dredge  or  dredging  machine  was 
devised.  This  term  may  be  applied  to  any  type  of  power  excavator, 
except  the  steam  shovel  used  for  the  construction  of  an  open  ditch 
or  canal. 

Dredges  may  be  divided  in  two  general  classes,  dry-land  exca- 
vators and  floating  excavators. 


101 


CHAPTER  VI 
DRY-LAND  EXCAVATORS 

40.  Classification. — The  dredges  of  this  class,  as  may  be  under- 
stood from  the  name,  are  those  which  move  over  the  surface  of  the 
land.     They  may  be  classified  as  to  the  type  of  construction  and 
the   method  of  excavating   the   material,   as   follows:  A,   Scraper 
Excavators;  B,  templet  excavators;  C,  wheel  excavators;  D,  walk- 
ing excavators,  and  E,  tower  excavators. 

A.— SCRAPER  EXCAVATORS 

41.  Varieties. — Scraper  excavators  or  dredges  may  be  classified 
as   to   their   method   of   operation   and   propulsion.     Considering 
method  of  operation,  there  are  (i),  the  rotary  or  revolving  dredge 
and  (2),  the  stationary  dredge  with  pivoted  boom.     As   regards 
method  of  propulsion,  there  are  (i)  the  drag  boat  dredge,  and  (2)  the 
traction  dredge.     The  drag  boat  is  the  application  of  a  floating 
dipper  dredge  to  dry-land  work  by  constructing  a  narrow  and  deep 
hull,  which  may  be  drawn  along  the  excavated  ditch  by  means  of 
cables  anchored  ahead  of  the  boat.     As  this  type  of  boat  is  very 
limited  in  its  scope,  rarely  used  at  the  present  time  and  properly  a 
dipper  dredge,  no  further  description  will  be  given  of  it  here. 

42.  Traction  Excavator  with  Two  Booms. — The  earliest  type  of 
scraper  dredge  comprised  a  framework  which  carried  the  boiler, 
engines,  coal  bunkers,  A-frame,  boom,  dipper  or  scraper  and  various 
sheaves,  piping,  etc.     The  whole  machine,  platform  or  framework 
and  superimposed  load,  moves  along  ahead  of  the  wbrk  on  rollers. 
A  machine  of  this  type    has  been  used  in  the  excavation  of  large 
ditches  in  Iowa  and  Minnesota. 

The  principal  feature  of  this  excavator  is  the  use  of  two  booms, 
set  a  distance  apart  depending  on  the  width  of  the  ditch  to  be 
excavated.  The  booms  swing  from  the  center  of  the  ditch  to  each 
side.  The  buckets  are  fastened  to  arms  which  slide  along  the  booms. 
Each  bucket  is  filled  by  lowering  the  point  of  the  boom  and  moving 
the  bucket  through  the  earth  toward  the  machine.  The  bucket  is 

102 


GOPHER  DITCHING  MACHINE  103 

emptied  by  raising  the  point  of  the  boom  and  swinging  to  the  side  of 
the  ditch.  One  bucket  is  filled  while  the  other  is  dumped.  The 
excavator  was  used  in  the  construction  of  ditches  with  bottom 
widths  varying  from  3  to  25  ft.  and  made  a  very  uniform  cross- 
section  with  smooth  side  slopes  and  fairly  true  grade.  On  account 
of  the  excessive  weight  of  such  a  large  machine  and  the  difficulty 
and  expense  of  moving  it  over  soft,  marshy  land  and  uneven,  broken 
country,  this  type  of  excavator  has  been  generally  superseded  by  the 
revolving  type  of  scraper  bucket  machine. 

43.  Gopher  Ditching  Machine. — Recently,  however,  a  modifica- 
tion of  the  original  scraper  bucket  and  swinging  boom  excavator 
has  come  into  use  for  the  construction  of  small  ditches.  This 
machine  is  shown  in  Fig.  39  and  is  called  the  "Gopher  Traction 
Dry-land  Ditching  Machine,"  manufactured  by  the  Dix  Machine 
Co.,  of  Stillwater,  Minn. 


Gopher  Dry-land  Traction  Ditcher. 
Figure  39. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  the  machine  consists  of  a 
platform,  which  moves  on  two  sets  of  caterpillar  traction  wheels, 
and  carries  the  machinery,  A-frame,  booms  and  dipper.  The  whole 
framework  is  constructed  of  steel.  The  engines  of  the  regular, 
horizontal,  friction-drum  type  are  operated  by  a  25-h.p.  gasoline 
engine,  which  consumes  about  2  gal.  of  gasoline  per  hour.  The  boom 
is  made  in  two  sections;  the  main  section  and  the  movable  section, 


104 


DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 


which  is  hinged  to  the  main  section  near  the  lower  end.  The  scraper 
bucket  is  fastened  to  a  steel  frame  which  is  hinged  to  the  movable 
section  of  the  boom.  In  loading,  the  bucket  is  drawn  down  and 
toward  the  machine  and  when  filled  the  movable  and  lower  section 
of  the  boom  is  raised  and  hooked  to  the  upper  section.  Then  the 
whole  boom  is  swung  to  one  side  and  the  dipper  inverted  and  dumped. 
This  machine  operates  a  f-yd.  dipper  on  a  2o-ft.  boom.  One  man  is 
required  to  operate  the  machine.  Its  weight  is  about  12  tons,  but 
on  account  of  the  distribution  of  the  load  over  a  large  area  of  the 
surface  by  the  platform  wheels  or  caterpillar  traction,  the  machine 
may  be  used  on  soft  soil,  which  would  support  a  man.  Fig.  40  shows 
the  caterpillar  traction  wheel. 


Caterpillar  Tractor  of  Gopher  Ditcher. 
Figure  40. 

44.  Scraper-bucket  Excavator.—  The  best-known  and  most  gener- 
ally used  type  of  dry-land  machines,  for  the  excavation  of  drainage 
ditches,  is  the  revolving  type  of  scraper-bucket  excavator.  This 
machine  is  built  so  as  to  run  on  a  track  or  upon  rollers,  which  move 
over  planks  set  on  the  ground  surface.  The  capacities  of  these 
excavators  depend  largely  on  the  size  of  the  bucket,  which  varies 
from  }  cu.  yd.  to  3  cu.  yd.  It  is  not  practical  to  use  a  bucket  larger 
than  3  cu.  yd.  because  this  is  the  largest  size  that  can  be  handled 
with  speed  and  an  economical  use  of  power.  Many  manufacturers 
place  the  limiting  size  of  bucket  at  2\  cu.  yd.  and  the  writer,  from 
his  experience,  is  inclined  to  agree  with  them. 

The  essential  parts  of  a  scraper-bucket  excavator  are  the  sub- 
structure, which  consists  of  the  upper  and  lower  platforms  and  turn- 


DRAG-LINE  EXCAVATOR 


105 


106 


DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 


table,  the  power  equipment,  the  hoisting  engines,  the  swinging  engines, 
A-frame,  boom  and  bucket.  The  essential  parts  and  their  system 
of  coordination  and  method  of  operation  are  practically  the  same 
in  all  the  various  makes  of  the  scraper-bucket  or  drag-line  excavator. 
The  only  differences  are  in  the  details  of  construction,  such  as  will  be 
noted  hereafter  in  the  machinery  and  buckets.  The  principal  parts 
of  a  drag-line  excavator  are  shown  in  Fig.  41. 

The  sub-structure  consists  of  a  lower  platform,  an  intermediate 
turntable  and  an  upper  platform.  The  lower  frame  consists  of  a 
rectangular-shaped  open  box,  whose  members  are  steel  channels  or 
I-beams.  The  frame  is  mounted  either  on  wooden  rollers,  double- 


Lower  Frame  of  Drag-line  Excavator. 
Figure  42. 

flanged  truck  wheels  or  four  four-wheeled  compensating  trucks. 
Fig.  42  shows  a  typical  make  of  lower  frame  mounted  on  the  four- 
wheeled  trucks. 

Upon  the  upper  surface  of  the  lower  platform  is  fastened  the  track 
•upon  which  runs  the  swinging  circle.  In  the  center  of  the  upper 
surface  of  the  lower  frame  is  fastened  the  female  section  of  the  central 
pivot. 

The  turntable  consists  of  a  swinging  circle,  which  is  a  steel  frame 
supporting  several  flanged  wheels.  See  Fig.  42.  In  one  make  of 
excavator  the  swinging  circle  consists  of  several  independent  trucks 
fastened  to  the  bottom  surface  of  the  upper  frame,  while  in  other 
makes  the  circle  is  composed  of  a  larger  number  of  smaller  wheels 
revolving  between  two  tracks. 


BOILER 


107 


The  upper  framework  or  platform  is  built  of  steel  channels  and 
I-beams  of  lighter  section  than  those  in  the  lower  frame.  The  various 
members  are  made  in  sections,  which  can  be  easily  transported  and 
readily  assembled.  Upon  the  lower  surface  of  this  frame  is  fastened 
the  male  section  of  the  central  pivot. 

The  power  equipment  may  be  made  up  on  the  basis  of  using  steam, 
gasoline  or  electricity  as  the  source  of  power. 

BOILER 

The  steam  equipment  is  the  one  generally  used  and  will  be 
described  first.  It  consists  of  a  boiler,  steam  pump,  injector,  water 


Boiler  and  Hoisting  Engine  of  Drag-line  Excavator. 
Figure  43. 

tank  and  piping.  The  style  of  boiler  used  depends  on  the  power 
required.  A  vertical  tube  or  brick-set  boiler  cannot  be  used.  The 
gross  horse-power  required  for  the  operation  of  the  excavator  should 
be  estimated  and  25  per  cent,  added  to  this  amount  to  determine  the 
rated  horse-power  of  the  boiler,  which  should  be  used. 

It  is  often  necessary  where  an  excavator  is  at  work  in  regions  where 
the  water  supply  is  highly  impregnated  with  salts,  to  purify  the  water 
before  it  is  used  in  the  boiler.  This  is  best  accomplished  by  running 
the  water  from  the  supply  tank  into  a  Feed  Water  Heater,  where 


108  DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TOR 

escape  steam  from  the  boiler  is  used  to  heat  the  water  to  the  boiling- 
point  and  this  water  after  being  freed  of  its  salts  and  other  impurities 
held  in  solution,  is  pumped  into  the  boiler.  This  purification  of  the 
feed  water  prevents  the  incrustation  of  the  boiler  and  thus  greatly 
increases  its  efficiency.  The  writer  has  found  that  the  use  of  "Boiler 
Compounds"  or  "Purgers"  is  at  best  an  unsatisfactory  and  trouble- 
some method  of  removing  scale  from  boiler  tubes.  The  only  safe 
and  reliable  method  is  to  remove  the  cause  of  incrustation  before  the 
water  is  admitted  into  the  boiler.  This  will  save  time  and  expense 
in  cleaning  the  boiler  and  also  save  coal.  With  a  loo-h.p.  boiler  a 


Locomotive  Type  of  Boiler. 
Figure  44. 

Feed  Water  Heater  having  a  height  of  6  ft.  5  in.  and  a  diameter  of  24  in. 
would  be  of  ample  capacity.  These  dimensions  will  vary,  however, 
with  the  type  of  heater  used. 

This  surplus  power  is  often  needed  under  exceptional  conditions 
such  as  excavation  of  very  stiff  or  heavy  soil,  foaming  of  water  in 
boiler  tubes,  excavation  of  frozen  soil,  use  of  poor-grade  fuel,  adverse 
atmospheric  conditions,  etc.  On  account  of  the  high  cost  of  fuel 
and  the  poor  quality  of  water  generally  obtainable  on  drainage  con- 
tracts, that  type  of  boiler  should  be  used  that  will  give  the  greatest 
efficiency  with  the  smallest  fuel  consumption.  On  the  smaller  size 
machines,  a  vertical  boiler  is  generally  used.  Fig.  43  shows  the  boiler 
and  hoisting  engine  used  on  a  well-known  make  of  excavator.  On 


ENGINES  109 

the  larger  size  machines,  a  return  tube  fire-box  or  locomotive  type  of 
boiler  is  generally  used,  as  shown  in  Fig.  44. 

A  steam  pump  of  the  standard  duplex  type  is  generally  connected 
to  the  boiler  direct  or  to  a  water  tank,  which  supplies  the  boiler  by  an 
injector. 

MAIN  ENGINE 

The  hoisting  engines,  which  are  generally  termed  the  main  engines 
of  an  excavator,  are  generally  horizontal,  double-cylinder,  friction 
drum  type  and  self-contained  on  a  single  cast-iron  or  steel  bedplate. 
The  engine  is  always  set  directly  in  front  of  the  boiler,  with  a  narrow 
passage-way  between.  There  is  probably  no  severer  test  to  which 
machinery  can  be  put  than  that  of  dredging.  The  continued  applica- 
tion for  long  periods  of  time  of  the  shocks  of  throwing  on  and  off  the 
varying  load  is  a  very  trying  test  of  an  engine's  strength  and  durability. 
It  is  especially  necessary  that  all  gears  be  of  steel,  the  shafts  very  heavy, 
the  shaft  and  wrist  pins  large,  and  the  front  drum  extra  thickness  and 
well  braced  inside.  The  writer  has  known  of  cases  where  the  con- 
tinual breaking  of  the  various  parts  of  an  engine  has  caused  serious 
delays  and  great  loss  of  time  and  money  to  the  contractor.  The 
engine  of  some  makes  of  excavator  has  three  drums;  the  rear  drum  is 
used  for  handling  the  boom  fall  line,  the  center  drum  is  for  the  hoisting 
line  and  the  front  drum  for  the  drag  line.  See  Fig.  43 .  In  other  makes 
of  excavator,  the  engine  has  simply  the  hoisting  and  drag-line  drums; 
the  outer  end  of  the  boom  being  raised  and  lowered  by  a  small  winch, 
which  is  operated  independently  of  the  main  engine.  See  Fig.  48. 
Some  makes  of  engine  provide  double-band  outside  friction  clutches 
actuated  by  auxiliary  steam  rams,  which  give  a  good  control  over  the 
operation  of  the  drums.  This  is  necessary  in  the  case  of  the  drag  line 
and  hoisting  drums. 

SWINGING  ENGINE 

The  mechanism  for  swinging  the  upper  platform,  machinery  and 
boom,  for  propelling  the  excavator  over  the  ground  surface  are  some- 
times contained  in  the  main  engine.  Some  manufacturers,  however, 
provide  a  separate  swinging  engine,  self-contained  on  its  own  base 
plate.  This  engine  is  of  the  steam  reverse  type  and  drives  through  a 
chain  of  gears,  a  pinion  which  operates  the  large  circular  rack  on  the 
lower  frame.  The  swinging  engine  used  on  a  well-known  make  of 
drag-line  excavator  is  shown  in  Fig.  45.  The  swinging  engine  should 
be  provided  with  some  device  for  keeping  the  swinging  lines  tight.  To 


110 


DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 


insure  smoothness  of  operation,  an  auxiliary  steam  cylinder  should  be 
connected  to  the  tumbling  shaft.  The  cylinder  and  throttle  are  gen- 
erally operated  by  a  single  lever. 

In  Minnesota  and  South  Dakota  in  recent  years  (1907-13),  gasoline 
and  kerosene  engines  have  been  used  for  the  driving  of  the  machinery 
of  drag-line  excavators.  The  engine  is  mounted  on  a  base  just  in  the 


Swinging  Engine  of  Drag-line  excavator. 
Figure  45. 

rear  of  the  engine  to  which  it  is  belt  connected.  The  drums  of  the  en- 
gine are  provided  with  outside  band  friction  clutches,  which  are  con- 
trolled by  pneumatic  thrust  cylinders.  The  swinging  mechanism  is 
mounted  on  the  same  base  and  to  one  side  of  the  hoisting  and  drag- 
line drums.  Double-cone  friction  clutches  are  used  to  operate  the 
swinging  drums. 


GASOLINE  ENGINES  111 

The  gasoline  engine  should  have  a  capacity  of  40  to  50  h.p.  for  an 
excavator  with  a  if  cu.  yd.  to  a  2\  cu.  yd.  bucket.  As  is  well  known, 
the  internal  combustion  engine  should  be  mounted  on  a  stable  and 
rigid  base  for  efficient  and  uniform  operation.  On  the  upper  platform 
of  a  drag-line  excavator,  the  engine  is  subjected  to  severe  shocks  and 
vibration  and  such  parts  as  the  crank,  crank  pin,  main  shaft,  governor, 
etc.,  must  be  made  of  extra  heavy  section  and  weight  to  resist  the  un- 
usually severe  strains.  The  writer  has  seen  the  Otto  and  Stickney 
engines  used  on  2\-  and  2j-yd.  bucket  excavators,  and  even  with 
these  heavily  built  engines,  the  breaks  have  been  numerous.  It  is 


Mechanism  for  Drag-line  Excavator  operated  by  Gasoline  or  Electric 

Power. 
Figure  46. 

especially  necessary  that  a  liberal  excess  of  power  be  used  and  experi- 
ence has  proven  the  wisdom  of  using  not  less  than  5o-per  cent,  horse- 
power in  excess  of  that  estimated. 

A  small  air  compressor  actuated  by  a  belt  connection  with  the  engine, 
furnishes  compressed  air  to  a  receiving  tank.  The  air  is  then  supplied 
to  the  thrust  cylinders,  which  control  the  band  friction  clutches  on 
the  drums.  A  water  tank  for  supplying  water  to  cool  the  cylinder  of 
the  engine  and  a  gasoline  supply  tank  are  also  placed  on  the  upper 
platform  near  the  engine.  The  gasoline  engine  is  much  more  econom- 
ical to  operate  than  a  steam  equipment  in  localities  where  coal  is  ex- 
pensive and  requires  long  and  costly  hauling  and  also  where  water  is 
scarce  and  poor  in  quality. 


112 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 


Where  electric  power  may  be  obtained  at  moderate  cost  and  near  at 
hand,  it  would  be  advisable  to  install  an  electric  generator  and  belt- 
connect  this  to  the  main  engine  shaft.  This  kind  of  power  is  the  clean- 
est and  easiest  to  handle  and  does  away  with  the  expense  and  trouble 
of  handling  coal  or  oil  and  requires  very  little  attention.  On  work 
near  large  cities  or  in  the  vicinity  of  a  power  transmission  line,  electric 
power  should  be  used. 

The  hoisting,  dragging  and  swinging  mechanism  to  be  used  in  con- 
nection with  gasoline  and  electric  power  is  shown  in  Fig.  46. 

The  assembled  machinery  on  a  drag-line  excavator  in  operation  is 
shown  in  Fig.  48,  which  is  a  view  of  the  interior  of  the  engine  house. 


Drag-line  Excavator  with  Steel-framed  Boom. 
Figure  47. 


BOOM 

The  boom  or  crane  is  composed  of  a  structural  steel  framework, 
generally  two  channels  braced  together  for  the  smaller  excavators  and 
two  latticed  girders  braced  together  for  the  larger  excavators.  See 
Fig.  47.  The  lower  ends  of  the  main  members,  channels  or  latticed 
girders,  are  spread  apart  at  the  lower  ends  and  hinged  to  the  outer 
corners  of  the  front  side  of  the  upper  platform.  The  upper  ends  of 
the  main  members  are  joined  together  so  as  to  form  a  boxing  wherein 
one  or  more  sheaves  are  placed.  The  main  members  are  cross  braced 
with  small  lateral  trusses  so  designed  as  to  resist  the  severe  lateral 


DRAG-LINE  EXCAVATORS 


113 


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114  DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  T  ORS 

strains  occasioned  by  the  sudden  starting  and  stopping  of  the  swinging 
of  the  boom. 


A-FRAME 

The  top  of  the  boom  is  connected  by  cables  with  the  top  of  a  vertical 
frame  called  an  "  A  "-frame.  This  frame  is  located  near  the  front  end 
of  the  main  engine  and  the  lower  ends  are  bolted  to  the  sides  of  the 
upper  platform,  while  the  upper  ends  are  framed  together  to  form  a 
boxing  for  a  sheave.  The  top  of  the  "A  "-frame  is  guyed  back  to  the 
two  rear  corners  of  the  upper  platform.  The  top  of  the  boom  may  be 
raised  or  lowered  by  means  of  a  wire  cable,  which  passes  from  the  end 
of  the  boom  over  the  sheave  at  the  top  of  the  "  A  "-frame  and  thence 
down  to  a  winch  on  the  floor  of  the  house.  See  Figs.  41  and  48. 

The  bucket  may  be  one  of  three  types:  the  scraper  bucket,  the 
clam-shell  bucket  and  the  orange-peel  bucket.  The  last  two  types 
are  only  used  for  special  work  such  as  rock  excavation  (rock  pre- 
viously loosened  by  blasting)  narrow  trench  or  ditch  excavation,  etc. 
The  dimensions,  weights  and  cost  of  these  two  types  are  given  in 
Figs.  24  and  25. 

BUCKET 

The  scraper  bucket  is  the  type  in  general  use  with  a  drag-line 
excavator,  and  as  the  name  of  the  machine  implies,  the  bucket  is 
filled  by  dragging  the  bucket  toward  the  machine  by  a  line  or 
cable.  There  are  several  different  makes  or  styles  of  these  scraper 
buckets,  which  differ  only  in  their  details  of  construction.  These 
various  types  are:  the  Page  bucket,  the  Martinson  bucket,  the 
Browning  bucket,  the  Austin  bucket,  and  the  Bucyrus  bucket. 

The  "Page"  bucket  is  shown  in  Fig.  49,  and  is  operated  as  follows: 
the  drag  line,  attached  to  the  bai)  of  the  bucket  and  then  back  to  the 
front  drum  of  the  main  engine,  is  drawn  toward  the  machine  until 
the  bucket  is  filled.  The  foot  brake  is  then  set  and  the  friction 
clutch  applied  to  the  front  drum,  which  becomes  stationary.  The 
control  of  the  second  or  hoisting  drum  is  then  released  and  the 
bucket  hoisted  by  the  application  of  power  to  and  the  winding  up  of 
the  hauling  cable  on  the  drum;  meanwhile  the  friction  clutch  on  the 
front  drum  is  released  by  the  foot  brake  and  the  drag  line  is  allowed  to 
unwind  from  the  drum.  The  power  to  the  swinging  engine  is  then 
applied^and  the  upper  platform  is  revolved  until  the  dumping  place 


BUCKET 


115 


is  reached  by  the  bucket.  The  clutch  of  the  hoisting  drum  is  then 
released  and  the  bucket  dropped  to  the  ground,  when  it  assumes  a 
vertical  position  and  discharges  its  contents. 

The  Martinson  bucket  or  generally  known  as  the  Monighan 
scraper  bucket  is  very  similar  to  the  Page  bucket  and  like  it  is  a  two- 
line  appliance.  The  operation  of  the  machinery  for  digging,  swing- 
ing and  dumping  is  the  same  as  described  above  for  the  Page  bucket. 
The  drag  line,  in  the  case  of  the  Page  bucket,  is  fastened  to  the  top  of 
the  front  end  of  the  bucket,  thence  passes  up  over  a  small  sheave 


"Page"  Scraper  Bucket. 
Figure  49. 

in  the  upper  part  of  the  bail  and  thence  out  to  a  connection  with 
the  two  side  chains  and  from  here  to  the  front  drum.  A  reference 
to  Fig.  50  will  show  that  in  the  use  of  the  Monighan  bucket,  the 
bucket  is  held  horizontally  by  the  lever  mechanism  which  is  con- 
nected to  the  drag  line  by  a  cable.  When  the  bucket  is  dropped 
and  the  drag  line  released,  the  bucket  assumes  a  vertical  position 
and  dumps  by  gravity. 

The  Browning  scraper  bucket  has  two  hoisting  lines  besides  the 
drag  line;  one  attached  to  the  end  of  the  bail  and  the  other  fastened 
to  the  rear  of  the  bucket.  The  drag  line  is  fastened  to  a  bail,  which 
projects  in  front  of  the  bucket  and  which  may  be  set  at  different 


116  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

angles  to  the  bottom  of  the  bucket.     The  dimensions,  weights  and 
costs  of  the  various  sizes  are  given  in  Fig.  51. 

The  Austin  scraper  bucket  is  a  two-line  excavator  similar  to  the 
Page  bucket.  The  distinctive  feature  of  this  bucket  is  a  latch, 
which  hooks  over  a  pin  on  the  front  end  and  maintains  it  in  a 
horizontal  position.  The  bucket  may  be  dumped  at  any  position 
by  releasing  the  latch  and  allowing  the  bucket  to  assume  a  vertical 
position  and  dump  the  contents. 


"Monighan"  Two-line  Drag  Bucket. 
Figure  50. 

The  Bucyrus  scraper  bucket  is  very  similar  to  the  Browning 
bucket  shown  in  Fig.  51.  The  distinctive  features  are  a  rigid  bail 
connection  for  the  drag  line  and.  a  rounded  back.  By  varying  the 
angle,  which  the  drag-line  bail  makes  with  the  bottom  of  the  bucket, 
a  downward  force  may  be  exerted  and  assist  in  the  excavation  of 
stiff  material.  The  rounded  back  is  of  advantage  in  the  excavation 
of  sticky  or  gumbo  soil,  as  the  material  will  not  stick  to  the  bucket 
and  the  material  as  it  is  excavated  is  rolled  up  and  decreases  the 
resistance  to  the  loading  up  of  the  bucket. 

A  novel  bucket  has  recently  been  devised  and  put  on  the  market 
by  M.  S.  Iverson  of  New  York.  The  improvements  claimed  for 
this  bucket  by  the  inventor  to  give  it  superiority  in  construction  and 
operation  over  all  other  types  of  drag-line  buckets  are  as  follows: 

The  elimination  of  the  tension  between  the  drag  line  and  the 
hoist  line,  while  the  bucket  is  being  hoisted  to  the  dumping  place. 


BUCKET 


117 


This  is  effected  by  the  use  of  a  latching  device  which  automatically 
hooks  over  the  bail  of  the  bucket,  when  the  latter  is  pulled  forward 
by  the  drag  line.  Thus  the  bucket  may  be  hoisted  from  any  position 
in  relation  to  its  distance  from  the  end  of  the  boom.  Fig.  52  shows 


>>   . 

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Extreme 
Length 

Extreme 
Height 

Extreme 
Width 

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Browning  Scraper  Buckets. 
Figure  51. 

the  bucket  being  hoisted  over  the  spoil  bank  by  the  hoist  line  alone; 
the  drag  line  being  slack. 

The  reduction  of  repairs  on  the  bucket,  due  to  the  design  and 
improved  methods  of  construction. 

The  reduction  of  weight  on  the  bucket  on  account  of  the  elimina- 
tion of  the  drag-line  strain. 


118  DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

The  resulting  increase  in  size  of  the  bucket  on  account  of  the  re- 
duction of  work  which  the  machine  is  subjected  to,  by  the  use  of 
the  tension  feature. 

The  following  quotation  from  a  letter  of  a  contractor,  who  used 
the  Iverson  bucket  in  excavation  work  connected  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  Fourth  Ave.  Subway,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  will  give 
the  results  of  several  months  actual  test  of  this  bucket. 


"Iverson"  Bucket. 
Figure  52. 

"The  bucket  possesses  two  features  which  will  figure  to  a  great  advan- 
tage against  any  other  drag-line  bucket,  the  most  important  feature  that 
of  doing  away  with  the  tension  between  the  drag  line  and  the  lift  line  (since 
the  bucket  is  a  locked  one)  and  the  second  feature  that  of  preventing  the 
compression  on  the  front  of  the  bucket,  thereby  doing  away  with  a  lot  of 
useless  reinforcement,  has  proven  to  be  of  such  a  great  advantage  to  the 
machine  operating  the  bucket  that  our  own  Browning  crane  can  do  a  good 
day's  work  with  65  Ib.  of  steam  with  this  new  bucket  whereas  other  buckets 
would  stall  in  the  bank  with  85  Ib.  and  would  require  100  Ib.  of  steam  to 
do  the  same  work." 


BUCKET 


119 


The  bucket  is  made  in  |,  f,  i,  i  f ,  2,  2  J  and  3  cu.  yd.  capacities 
and  equipped  with  either  forged  or  manganese  steel  teeth. 

A  shovel  which  has  been  in  successful  operation  for  several  years 
on  the  Pacific  Coast  is  the  Weeks  shovel.  The  principles  involved 


"Weeks"  Drag-line  Bucket. 
Figure  53. 

in  its  construction  and  operation  can  be  understood  by  a  reference 
to  the  line  drawings  shown  in  Fig.  53. 
Like  all  other  buckets  of  this  type,  it  is  operated  by  two  lines,  a 


120  DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

drag  or  haul  line,  which  pulls  the  bucket  forward  and  a  return  line 
to  draw  it  back.  The  body  of  the  shovel  or  bucket  consists  of  a  pan, 
open  at  the  top  and  front,  a  sloping  back  to  facilitate  the  return  of 
the  shovel  after  dumping  and  lugs  attached  to  the  vertical  sides  for 
use  in  dumping  the  load  forward.  To  the  front  part  of  the  sides  of 
the  pan  is  attached  a  rigid  upright  yoke  or  mast,  which  contains  two 
sheaves,  over  which  pass  the  chains,  which,  when  properly  operated, 
cause  the  shovel  to  dig  and  release.  A  bail,  which  consists  of  two 
short  chains,  hold  a  sheave,  around  which  passes  the  digging  chain, 
one  end  of  which  is  fastened  to  the  casing  of  the  sheave.  The  other 
end  of  this  chain  is  attached  to  a  lug  at  the  back  of  the  shovel  and 
the  rehaul  or  return  line  fastens  to  the  digging  chain  at  a  suitable 
point  near  the  boom.  The  bail  by  which  the  shovel  is  drawn  forward 
may  be  flexible  as  described  above  or  it  may  be  rigid.  The  latter  is 
preferred  in  excavating  soft  material.  The  cutting  edge  is  generally 
curved  upward  to  assist  in  releasing  the  shovel  from  its  cut. 

The  shovel  is  operated  from  the  boom  of  a  drag-line  excavator 
or  a  simple  boom  of  a  derrick  or  tower  by  drawing  the  bucket  back 
and  forth  across  the  area  to  be  excavated  by  the  haul  line  and  return 
line.  To  excavate  with  the  shovel  the  haul  line  is  made  taut,  the 
return  line  is  tightened  slightly,  which  action,  by  aid  of  the  sheaves, 
draws  the  mast  and  haul  line  together  (see  Fig.  53),  which  thus  tips 
the  shovel  forward  on  its  cutting  edge,  and  in  this  position  it  is  drawn 
forward  until  filled.  The  return  line  is  then  slackened,  causing  the 
mast  and  haul  lines  to  draw  apart,  after  which  the  drawing  in  of  the 
haul  line  releases  the  shovel  (now  filled)  and  owing  to  the  slightly 
upturned  cutting  edge  the  shovel  rises  out  of  the  material.  In  this 
loaded  condition,  the  shovel  is  drawn  forward  to  the  point  where 
it  is  to  be  dumped.  The  latter  action  is  caused  by  the  slacking  of  the 
tail  line,  which  causes  the  shovel  to  take  a  vertical  position,  allowing 
its  contents  to  fall  out  of  the  front  end.  When  the  shovel  is  operated 
from  a  swinging  boom,  the  shovel  is  raised  and  swung  to  the  side  for 
dumping. 

The  shovel  is  constructed  of  heavy  steel  plate  and  equipped  with  a 
manganese  steel  cutting  edge,  and  cast  steel  back. 

The  shovels  are  constructed  in  the  following  sizes  and  weights: 

Size  Weight 

15  cu.  ft.  1,520  Ibs. 

22  cu.  ft.  2,120  Ibs. 

34  cu.  ft.  3,050  Ibs. 

42  cu.  ft.  4,100  Ibs. 


CABLE  121 

The  34  cu.  ft.  is  the  size  generally  used  and  is  usually  operated  by 
means  of  an  8j  Xio-in.  double-drum  hoisting  engine,  requiring  from 
35  to  60  h. p.  depending  on  the  kind  of  material  to  be  excavated. 

The  capacity  of  the  shovel  varies  from  350  to  500  cu.  yd.  per  10- 
hour  day.  Three  men  are  generally  required  in  an  ordinary  crew, 
one  to  operate  the  shovel,  one  to  operate  the  boiler,  and  a  general 
laborer. 


CABLES 

The  experience  of  most  contractors  (including  some  noted  above), 
in  the  use  of  drag-line  excavators,  is  that  the  principal  source  of  expense 
for  repairs  is  in  the  wearing  out  of  cables.  The  drag-line  cable 
especially  is  subject  to  great  wear  in  passing  over  the  guide  sheaves 
on  the  front  of  the  upper  platform.  These  guide  sheaves  are  called 
the  "fair  lead"  and  in  the  latest  form,  consist  of  two  horizontal 
sheaves  mounted  on  a  casting  on  which  is  pivoted  a  swinging  frame, 
carrying  two  vertical  sheaves.  This  frame,  in  revolving,  will  take 
the  direction  of  the  drag  line  and  thus  maintain  a  straight  lead  at  all 
times. 

The  drag-line  and  hoisting  cables  are  continually  subjected  to 
vibratory  stress  and  shocks  and  should  be  made  of  the  very  best 
plow  steel.  There  are  several,  well-known  brands  or  makes,  generally 
designated  by  a  colored  strand  woven  into  the  cable  and  thus  deriving 
the  names,  "red  strand,"  "yellow  strand,"  etc. 

45.  Typical  Operating  Cost. — With  a  2-cu.  yd.  bucket,  drag-line 
excavator,  an  excavation  of  from  800  to  1,200  cu.  yd.  should  be  made 
in  a  lo-hour  working  day;  depending  on  the  character  of  soil  excavated, 
the  length  of  swing,  the  cross-section  of  the  ditch  or  canal  and  the 
experience  and  ability  of  the  operator. 

The  cost  of  operation  of  a  2-cu.  yd.  excavator  for  a  lo-hour  day 
would  be  about  as  follows: 


Labor: 


i  operator  $5.00 

i  fireman  3.00 

4  laborers  @  $2,  8.00 

i  teamster,  2.00 

i  cook,  1.5° 


Total  labor,  $19  -5° 


122  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

Miscellaneous: 

Board  and  lodging  for  crew,  4 .  oo 

Repairs,  oil,  waste,  etc.,  6.00 

2  tons  of  coal  @  $6 . 50  13.00 

Overhead  expenses,  1 2 .  oo 

Total,  $54-50 

Assuming  that  1,000  cu.  yd.  is  the  average  daily  excavation,  the 
cost  per  cubic  yard  would  be  5.45  cents. 

45a.  Use  in  South  Dakota. — During  the  latter  part  of  the  year 
1911,  a  2j-cu.  yd.  bucket,  drag-line  excavator  was  used  in  the  excava- 
tion of  a  section  of  ditch  in  the  lower  Vermilion  River  Valley,  Clay 
County,  South  Dakota.  The  cross-section  excavated  had  a  bottom 
width  of  20  ft.,  average  depth  of  8  ft.,  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i.  The 
material  excavated  was  loam  and  clay,  there  being  an  alluvial  deposit 
of  about  six  feet  of  loam  underlaid  with  yellow  clay. 

The  total  working  time  was  148  days  of  22  hours  each;  there  being 
two  shifts  of  about  n  hours  each.  The  total  amount  of  excavation 
was  222,494  cu.  yd.,  or  an  average  daily  rate  of  1,503  cu.  yd.  and  an 
average  hourly  rate  of  68  cu.  yd. 

A  tabulated  list  of  operating  expenses  is  given  below: 

Labor: 

Scale  of  Wages 

Opera  tor,  $  1 2  5 .  oo  per  mon  th . 

2  cranesmen,  @  $100,  200.00  per  month. 

4  laborers,  @  $50,  200.00  per  month. 

i  teamster,  50.00  per  month. 

i  cook,  35-Qo  per  month. 

Total  cost  of  labor,  $3,060.00  per  month. 

Cost  of  tabor  per  cubic  yards  excavated,  i .  38  cents. 

Fuel: 

15,444.8  gal.  of  gasoline  @  12.4  cents,  $1915. 15- 

Cost  of  fuel  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.86  cent. 

Cable: 

First  quality  steel  wire  rope,  |  in.,  for  hoisting  and  swinging  cables,  and  i  j  in., 

for  drag-line  cable. 

Total  cost  of  wire  rope,  $978.87 

Cost  of  wire  rope  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.44  cent. 

Repairs  and  Renewals  of  Machinery: 

REPAIRS  AND  RENEWALS  OF  MACHINERY 
Bucket  bailers,  friction  blocks,  sheaves,  etc.,  etc. 
Total  cost  of  repairs  and  renewals,  $845 . 93 

Cost  of  repairs  and  renewals  per  cubic  yard  excavated,    o.  38  cent. 


USE  IN  SOUTH  DAKOTA 

Board  and  Lodging: 

Total  cost  of  board  and  lodging  of  9  men  for  full 

time  of  148  days, 
Cost  of  board  and  lodging  per  cubic  yard  excavated, 


123 


$561.81 
o.  25  cents. 


Miscellaneous: 

Livery,  horse  keep,  hardware,  lumber,  oil,  grease, 

waste,  freight,  express,  etc.,  etc.  (not  including 

general  office  expenses,  depreciation,  insurance 

and  interest  on  investment). 

Total  cost  of  miscellaneous,  $2,078.  72 

Cost  of  miscellaneous  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.93  cent. 

Total  amount  of  operating  expenses,  $9,440.48 

Cost  of  operating  excavator  per  working  day,  $63 .  79 

Cost  of  operating  excavator  per  cubic  yard  excavated,     4 .  24  cents. 
Initial  cost  of  excavator,  moving,  setting  up,  taking 

down,  etc.,  $10,500.00 

Contract  price  for  work,  7  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

The  drag-line  excavator  was  made  by  the  Monighan  Machine 
Company  of  Chicago,  111.,  and  used  a  5o-h.p.  Otto  gasoline  engine  for 


Drag-line  Excavator  excavating  Large  Drainage  Ditch. 
Figure  54. 

power.  The  boom  had  a  length  of  60  ft.  and  the  ai-cu.  yd.  scraper 
bucket  was  of  the  Martinson  type,  as  shown  in  Fig.  50.  A  view  of  this 
excavator  in  operation  is  given  in  Fig.  54. 

45b.  Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal.— During  the  season  of 
1908,  a  drag-line  excavator  with  an  85-ft.  boom  and  a  2-yd.  dipper  was 


124 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 


used  on  a  section  of  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal.  The  machine 
was  equipped  with  an  engine  of  5o-h.p.  capacity  and  a  boiler  of  54  h.p. 
The  total  weight  of  the  excavator  was  147  tons  and  cost  $10,000. 
The  following  table  gives  the  cost  of  operating  the  machine  during 
the  season  of  1908  and  also  the  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard. 

TABLE  XVII 
COST  OF  EXCAVATION  OF  CANAL 


Character  of  work 

April 

May 

June 

July 

August 

Fitting  up 

$426  80 

Excavation 

•3  IQ    74 

$684.  20 

$74.7    77 

$8  co  60 

$1  Il8    c.7 

Repairs  
Interest  and  depreciation, 
21  per  cent. 
Shifting  on  work 

175.00 

15.82 
175.00 

(a) 

62.60 
175.00 

48.23 
175.00 

77  02 

75-12 
175.00 

Total  for  month 

$021    C.4 

$87  c   ii 

$085    37 

$1  I  CQ  04 

$i   368  60 

Average  cost  per  yard.  .  .  . 
Yards    completed    during 
month 

$0.177 
5,205 

$o  .  048 
18,365 

$0.0388 
25,333 

$0  .  0348 
33,055 

$0.0289 
47,36 

(a)  Work  delayed  due  to  accident. 

The  itemized  cost  of  operation  during  May  is  as  follows: 

Engineer,  @  $90  per  month,  $90.00 

Engineer,  @  $95,  84 . 04 
Firemen,  pump  men,  watchmen,  and  laborers  @  $i .  75 

per  day,  363-00 

Coal  at  $3  per  ton,  147.00 

Repairs,  15.82 


Total, 


$699.86 


The  canal  was  100  ft.  wide  on  the  bottom,  side  slopes  of  i  J  to  i,  and 
average  depth  of  ?  5  ft.  The  material  excavated  was  stiff  clay.  A  few 
boulders  and  stumps  were  removed. 

The  average  cost  of  excavation,  including  an  estimate  for  interest 
and  depreciation,  was  4.1  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

45C.  Use  in  Florida.  —  During  the  years  1911,1912  and  the  present  one 
of  1913,  a  large  outlet  canal  is  being  excavated  by  four  drag-line  exca- 
vators. The  work  is  located  near  Sebastian  on  the  east  coast  of  Florida 
and  the  material  excavated  is  sand  and  shell  marl.  The  ditch  or  canal 
is  4^  miles  long,  has  a  bottom  of  50  ft.,  depth  varying  from  10  to  18  ft., 
and  side  slopes  of  2  to  i.  Berms  of  20  ft.  were  left  along  the  sides  of 
the  ditch. 


USE  IN  NEVADA  125 

The  four  excavators  each  had  a  bucket  capacity  of  i  J  cu.  yd.  and  a 
boom  length  of  70  ft.  The  excavators  were  of  standard  make  and  used 
complete  steam  equipments.  The  machines  worked  in  pairs  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  canal  and  excavated  to  a  fairly  uniform  grade  and 
even  side  slopes. 

During  the  five  months  from  May  to  November,  1911  (inclusive), 
the  four  excavators  together  excavated  on  the  average,  111,210  cu.  yd. 
per  month  or  27,800  cu.  yd.  for  each  excavator  per  month.  Two 
shifts,  of  10  hours  each  per  day,  were  worked;  and  the  average  excava- 
tion per  machine  for  each  shift  was  620  cu.  yd.  The  total  yardage 
excavated  during  the  year  1911  was  1,023,662  cu.  yd.,  one  machine 
working  1 2  months,  two  machines  working  1 1  months,  three  machines 
working  10  months  and  four  machines  working  9  months. 

The  entire  labor  organization  when  the  four  machines  were  working 
together  was  as  follows: 

i  superintendent  of  works,  2  pump  men, 

i  master  mechanic,  2  pipe  line  men, 

9  operators,  I  6  mules, 

'    ,  3  teamsters,  < 

4  roller  gang  foremen,  [  i  horse, 

32  laborers  in  roller  gangs  (negroes),  2  cooks, 

8  firemen  (negroes),  i  yard  man, 

i  oiler,  2  dynamite  men, 

i  blacksmith,  7  general  laborers  (negroes), 

i  assistant  blacksmith, 

The  fuel  used  was  pine  wood,  which  had  been  partially  seasoned. 

About  2  cords  of  wood  were  used  for  each  excavator  per  shift. 

The  following  table  gives  a  brief  statement  of  the  cost  of  operation. 

Operating  costs,  $67,645.19 

Board  and  lodging,  6,137.85 

Repairs  and  renewals,  7,131.02 

Stable  upkeep,  1,527.94 

$82,442.00 

Average  cost  of  excavation  (based  on  a  total  excavation  of 
1,023,662  cu.  yd.),  8.05  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

The  above  estimate  does  not  include  depreciation  or  overhead 
charges. 

45<i.  Use  in  Nevada. — The  Reclamation  Service  is  using  (1912) 
a  drag-line  excavator  in  the  construction  of  canals  and  embankments 
on  the  Truckee-Carson  project,  near  Fallen,  Nevada.  The  excava- 
tor is  equipped  with  a  i4-ft.  roller  circle,  a  6o-ft.  structural  steel 
boom  and  a  ij-cu.  yd.  three-line,  scraper  bucket.  The  machine  is 
equipped  with  electric  motors  throughout,  using  alternating  current 


126  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

at  440  volts.  The  current  is  generated  at  a  hydro-electric  plant 
located  on  the  main  canal  of  the  project.  The  cost  of  this  electric 
power  would  be  equivalent  to  coal  at  about  $2  per  ton.  Steam-coal 
at  this  place  would  cost  $9  per  ton,  delivered  on  the  excavator. 

The  average  capacity  of  the  machine,  excavating  gravel,  clay 
and  loam  under  ordinary  conditions,  is  about  500  cu.  yd.  per  10- 
hour  day.  It  requires  the  services  of  one  operator  on  the  machine 
and  two  trackmen  and  laborers  on  the  ground  to  operate  the 
excavator. 

456.  Use  in  California. — A  drag-line  excavator  was  used  in 
1912  in  the  construction  of  ditches  and  levees  near  Button- 
willow,  California.  The  minimum  width  of  base  of  canal  or  levee 
is  30  ft.,  while  the  minimum  height  of  levee  is  6  ft.  and  depth  of 
ditch  is  4  ft.  The  material  excavated  is  clay  and  loam  and  most  of 
the  digging  is  in  fairly  dry  soil. 

The  excavator  is  equipped  with  loo-ft.  boom  and  a  3^-01.  yd., 
three-line  scraper  bucket.  California  crude  oil  is  used  as  fuel  and 
the  average  consumption  is  800  gal.  per  day.  At  2  cents  per 
gallon,  the  daily  cost  for  fuel  amounts  to  $16.  The  cost  of  labor 
and  subsistence  amounts  to  $75  per  day. 

Two  1 1 -hour  shifts  are  employed  in  the  operation  of  the  excavator 
and  the  average  daily  excavation  is  2,000  cu.  yd. 

During  the  year,  April,  1909  to  April,  1910,  a  diverting  canal 
was  excavated  near  Stoelston,  California,  to  connect  the  Mormon 
slough  to  the  Calaveras  River.  This  canal  had  a  length  of  5.25  miles, 
a  bottom  width  of  150  ft.,  an  average  depth  of  10  ft.  and  side  slopes 
of  i  to  i.  The  material  excavated  was  a  heavy  black  loam  under- 
laid with  clay,  which  was  very  hard  in  spots.1 

The  excavating  machinery  used  on  this  work  consisted  of  a  Hey- 
worth-Newman  drag-line  excavator,  equipped  with  a  zoo-ft.  boom 
and  a  35-01.  yd.  bucket;  and  a  clam-shell  machine  with  a  no-ft. 
boom  and  converted  into  a  drag-line  excavator  with  a  2\  cu.  yd. 
bucket. 

One  excavator  was  set  up  and  worked  at  a  distance  of  7  ft.  from 
the  center  line  of  the  canal  and  excavated  the  outer  30  ft.  of  the  canal 
width  and  deposited  the  excavated  material  clear  of  the  berm.  A 
length  of  2,000  ft.  was  worked  in  this  manner  and  the  excavator  was 
then  moved  in  about  31  ft.  and  another  parallel  section  was  taken 
out  up  to  7  ft.  of  the  other  side  of  the  canal.  The  converted  clam- 
shell excavator  followed  and  completed  the  excavation. 

1  Engineering-Contracting,  July  20,  1910. 


USE  IN  CALIFORNIA  127 

The  machines  were  equipped  with  boilers,  burning  crude  oil  for 
fuel.  The  oil  cost  $i  per  barrel  and  each  machine  used  about  17 
gal.  per  hour,  which  would  make  a  total  daily  cost  of  fuel  for  each 
machine  of  $7.48.  This,  of  course,  makes  a  fuel  cost  much  less 
than  of  coal,  and  oil  is  much  easier  and  better  to  handle  than  coal. 

Water  for  the  boilers  was  secured  by  boring  wells  about'  every 
4,000  ft.  along  the  line  of  the  canal.  A  pumping  plant  equipped 
with  Worthington  duplex  pumps,  was  used  to  force  the  water  from 
the  wells  through  a  i4-in.  pipe  line  to  the  boilers.  Even  this  well 
water  was  so  heavy  with  salts  that  it  required  a  weekly  shutdown 
for  cleaning  the  boilers  and  general  repairs. 

The  excavators  worked  in  two  shifts  of  n  hours  each;  Sundays 
being  spent  in  the  cleaning  out  of  the  boilers  and  the  making  of 
general  repairs. 

The  labor  organization  was  as  follows: 

1  superintendent,  i  helper, 

2  captains,  one  on  each  machine,  i  cook, 

3  leveemen,  6  hours  on  and  12  off,  i  flunkey, 

2  mates,  one  on  each  machine,  2  pumpmen, 

4  firemen,  2  on  each  machine,  i  handyman, 

8  deckhands,  4  on  each  machine,  i  team  of  6  horses  for  hauling, 

i  blacksmith, 

During  the  13  months  from  April,  1909  to  April,  1910,  inclusive, 
the  Heyworth-Newman  drag-line  excavator  made  a  total  excavation 
of  437,873  cu.  yd.  or  an  average  of  33,683  cu.  yd.  per  month.  The 
converted  clam-shell  excavator,  during  the  same  period,  made  a 
total  excavation  of  242,600  cu.  yd.  or  a  monthly  average  of  24,260 
cu.  yd.  The  monthly  average  for  the  two  machines  was  57,973  cu.  yd. 

The  cost  of  operation  per  month  was  as  follows: 

Pay-roll,  $3,754.00 

Fuel  oil,  945  •  oo 

Lubricating  oil  and  repairs,  2,220.00 

Total  cost  of  operation  for  both  machines,  $6,919.00 

Cost  of  operation  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  11.9  cents. 

Contract  price  for  work,  per  cubic  yard,  15.5  cents. 

A  dry-land  excavator  of  simple  design  but  rather  unusual  in  this 
make-up,  was  used  during  the  seasons  of  1907  and  1908  in  the  excava- 
tion of  drainage  ditches  in  the  Turlock  and  Modesto  irrigation  districts 
of  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  California. 

The  dredge  consisted  of  a  timber  platform  1 8  by  30  ft.  mounted  on 
skids  which  rested  on  wooden  rollers. 


128  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

These  rollers  moved  on  planks  placed  on  the  ground  and  thus 
provided  for  the  movement  of  the  dredge  along  the  line  of  the  ditch. 
This  was  effected  by  means  of  a  steel  cable  anchored  to  a  "  dead  man  " 
ahead  of  the  dredge  and  wound  on  a  drum,  which  was  power  driven 
by  a  worm  gear  from  the  main  engine.  The  dredge  was  moved  3  to 
5  ft.  at  a  time  as  the  ditch  was  excavated.  At  the  front  end  of  the 
platform  was  placed  a  timber  A-frame,  20  ft.  high.  At  the  center 
of  the  front  platform  was  pivoted  a  cable-propelled  turntable,  which 
carried  the  foot  of  a  4o-ft.  timber  boom.  This  boom  was  hung  at  an 
angle  of  45  degrees  from  the  peak  of  the  A-frame  by  wire  cables. 
From  a  set  of  sheaves  at  the  outer  end  of  the  boom,  was  suspended 
the  bucket.  This  was  a  clam-shell  bucket  of  i  cu.  yd.  capacity  and 
weighing  about  2,800  Ib.  Power  was  furnished  by  a  25-h.p.  single 
cylinder  gasoline  engine,  which  drove  a  standard  combination  gear 
and  friction  brake  drum  dredging  engine.  This  engine  was  controlled 
by  means  of  three  levers  and  two  foot  brakes  from  a  platform  just 
back  of  the  swinging  circle.  The  initial  cost  of  the  dredge  was  about 
$5,000. 

The  ditches  were  about  20  ft.  wide  at  the  surface  and  were  made 
with  as  steep  side  slopes  as  was  practicable.  The  depth  of  cut  varied 
from  5^  to  10  ft.  A  6-ft.  berm  was  left  and  at  first  the  excavated 
material  was  all  placed  on  one  side  of  the  ditch.  Through  the  higher 
land  at  the  upper  end  of  the  ditch  it  was  found  necessary  to  waste 
the  material  on  both  sides  of  the  ditch.  The  banks  caved  so  that  a 
bottom  width  of  about  6  ft.  was  left  for  the  ditches.  The  ditches 
connected  several  swales  separated  by  sand  "blows."  Below  the 
surface  soil  of  coarse  sand  and  gravel  was  a  3-ft.  layer  of  clay  underlaid 
with  fine  quicksand.  In  the  Turlock  district  the  uplands  were  of  a 
sandy  soil,  while  at  the  foot  of  the  slope  near  the  river  was  a  compact 
adobe.  In  places  was  found  a  dike  of  hard  gray  hard-pan  in  a  wave- 
like  form.  Several  crests  of  considerable  thickness  outcropped  in 
places  and  required  blasting  where  the  ditch  passed  through. 

Following  is  given  a  table  showing  the  cost  of  excavation  for  one 
month  of  the  Modesto  drainage  canal. 

Labor: 

Foreman,  $95 .  oo 

Assistan t  foreman,  85 .  oo 

Swamper,  50.00 

Swamper,  one-half  time,  25.00 

Man  and  team,  one-half  time,  50.00 

Total  labor  cost,  $305 .  oo 


USE  ON  NEW  YORK  STATE  BARGE  CANAL       129 

Supplies: 

4oo-ft.  f-in.  hoisting  cable,  $50.40 

6|  gal.  gasoline,  i .  60 

3  gal.  lubricating  oil,  3.75 

5  Ib.  Hecla  compound,  i .  25 
595  gal.  distillate,  @  7!  cents  per  gallon,         44.62 

1  cylinder  cup,  3 .  Oo 
Rollers,  21.00 

,    Large  intermediate  gear,  14.00 

172  Ib.  dynamite,  @  16  cents  per  Ib.,  27.52 

i,ooo-ft.  fuse,  7. 50 

2  boxes  caps,  i .  60 
Depreciation  of  dredge  (10  per  cent,  of 

$5,000),  40.00 

Total  material  and  general  cost,  $216.  24 


Total  cost,  $521.24 

Total  excavation,  14,941  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,        $0.035 
Operation  cost  per  hour  (based  on  255  hours),  $2.05 

Operation  cost  per  hour  (based  on  200  hours),  2.61 

Cubic  yards  excavated  per  hour  (based  on  255  hours),    58.6 
Cubic  yards  excavated  per  hour  (based  on  200  hours),    74. 7 

It  is  interesting  to  note  here  that  a  small  drainage  ditch  excavated 
with  teams  and  scrapers  in  the  Turlock  district  cost  8  cents  per  cubic 
yard  for  sand  and  clay  and  50  cents  per  cubic  yard  for  hard  pan. 

45f.  Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal.1 — Three  drag-line 
excavators  were  used  in  earth  excavation  on  Contract  No.  42  of  the 
New  York  State  Barge  Canal,  during  April,  1910.  The  material 
excavated  was  principally  a  heavy  gumbo  soil. 

Two  of  the  excavators  were  electrically  driven  Lidger wood- Crawford 
drag-line  machines,  equipped  with  ico-ft.  booms  and  2^-01.  yd. 
"Page"  buckets.  The  engines  were  driven  by  a  25-h.p.  motor  for 
swinging  and  a  1 25-h.p.  motor  for  hoisting.  City  current  was  used 
and  cost  about  i  cent  per  cubic  yard  of  material  excavated.  These 
machines  moved  about  during  the  month  and  most  of  their  excavation 
was  superficial.  Excavator  No.  i  worked  13  days  and  Excavator 
No.  2  worked  10  days  during  the  month. 

The  other  machine  was  a  Heyworth-Newman  drag-line  excavator 
operated  by  steam  power  and  equipped  with  a  loo-ft.  boom  and  a 
2§-cu.  yd.  bucket. 

All  the  excavators  worked  in  three  shifts  of  eight  hours  each. 

1  Engineering- Contracting,  Sept.  28,  1910. 
9 


130  DR Y-LA ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

Following  is  a  tabulated  statement  of  the  cost  of  labor  and  exca- 
vation for  these  three  machines. 

HEYWORTH- NEWMAN  EXCAVATOR 

i  operator,  $4.00 

i  fireman,  ,                                       2.00 

5  laborers,  @  $1.50,  7.50 

i  foreman,  average  $85  per  month,  2.83 

i  pumpman,  i .  50  ' 

i  oiler,  2.00 

i  team  for  i  shifi  per  day,  4.  50 

Total  cost  of  labor  per  day,  $24 . 33 

To*al  Cost  of  excavation  per  month,  $1,983.84 

Total  cubic  yards  excavated  for  month,  23,192 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  $o .  085 

Two  LIDGERWOOD- CRAWFORD  EXCAVATORS  (LABOR  FOR  EACH  MACHINE) 

operator,  $4 .  oo 

oiler,  2.00 

laborers,  @  $i .  50  7.50 

sloper,  2.25 

foreman,  @  $85  per  month,  2.83 

electrician  @  $125  per  month,  4.17 

Total  cost  of  labor  per  day  for  each  machine,  $22 .  75 

EXCAVATOR  No.  i 

Total  cost  of  excavation  for  month,  $1,667  •  80 

Total  cubic  yards  excavated  for  month,  2,271 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  $o.  735 

EXCAVATOR  No.  2 

Total  cost  of  excavation  for  month,  $992.30 

Total  cubic  yards  excavated  for  month,  2,5&3 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  $0.384 

46.  Jacobs  Guided-Line  Excavator. — In  the  use  of  the  ordinary 
drag-line  bucket  excavator,  difficulty  is  often  experienced  in  guiding 
the  bucket  when  stiff  material  is  encountered.  This  difficulty  is 
especially  noticeable  when  the  bucket  is  cutting  the  sloping  banks 
of  an  open  ditch  and  the  bucket,  in  its  upward  path,  passes  from  stiff  to 
loose  material.  Recently  an  excavator  has  been  put  upon  the  market 
designed  to  overcome  this  difficulty.  This  new  machine  is  the  Jacobs 
Guided-Drag-Line-Bucket-Excavator,  manufactured  by  the  Jacobs 
Engineering  Co.,  of  Ottawa,  111. 

This  excavator  consists  of  a  steel-framed  platform  made  up  of  stand- 


JA  COBS  G  VIDED-DRAG-LINE  EXCA  VA  TOR         1 3 1 


ard  structural  steel  shapes,  which  are  joined  with  fitting  bolts.  This 
upper  platform  revolves  on  a  circular  track,  which  rests  on  a  lower 
steel-framed  platform.  The  machinery  consists  of  a  three-drum 
hoist  with  steel  gearing  and  the  whole  mounted  on  a  heavy  cast-iron 
base,  which  is  bolted  to  the  upper  platform.  The  machinery  is 
operated  by  either  steam  or  gasoline  power.  The  two  swinging  drums 
are  operated  by  a  double-cone  friction  and  are  connected  to  the  drum 
shaft  of  the  hoisting  engine  by  a  sprocket  and  bushed  chain. 

The  distinctive  feature  of  the  machine  is  the  guide  boom,  which 
consists  of  a  steel  girder  shaped  like  a  figure  J,  with  the  hook  end 
hanging  vertically  from  a  straight  boom.  Both  booms  are  pivoted  at 
the  front  end  of  the  upper  platform.  The  bucket,  which  is  a  rectangu- 


Jacobs  Guided-drag-line-bucket  Excavator. 
Figure  55. 

lar  steel  box,  open  at  the  end  toward  the  machine,  is  attached  to  a 
trolley  which  travels  on  the  guide  boom,  having  two  double-flanged 
wheels  riding  on  the  upper  flange  and  a  third  wheel  bearing  against  the 
lower  flange  to  keep  the  bucket  from  kicking  upward.  "In  making 
the  cut,  the  bucket  is  hauled  inward  by  a  cable  leading  directly  from 
the  trolley  to  the  engine.  For  dumping,  it  is  hauled  outward  by  the 
back  haul  cable,  which  leads  from  the  trolley  to  the  head  of  the  main 
boom  and  back  to  the  engine.  The  bucket  is  dumped  by  continuing 
its  travel  to  the  vertical  end  of  the  guide  boom,  the  boom  being  first 
swung  around  to  the  position  at  which  the  load  is  to  be  deposited." 


132  DR  Y-LA ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

The  machine  is  self-propelling  and  travels  on  a  track,  which  is  made 
in  sections  and  is  moved  by  the  machine  itself. 

This  machine  has  been  used  for  the  construction  of  open  ditches, 
tile  ditches  and  back  filling  same,  levees,  roads  and  highways,  etc. 

This  excavator  is  built  in  various  sizes,  from  one  having  a  f-yd. 
bucket  and  25-ft.  boom  to  one  with  a  i  J-yd.  bucket  and  a  4o-ft.  boom. 
The  cost  of  the  machines  varies  from  $3,500  to  $6,000,  depending  on 
the  length  of  the  boom  and  the  capacity  of  the  bucket. 

A  line  drawing  showing  the  construction  of  the  Jacobs  Guided-D rag- 
Line-Bucket-Excavator  and  the  boom  and  bucket  in  digging  and 
dumping  positions,  is  given  in  Fig.  55. 

46a.  Use  in  Illinois. — At  Dixon,  Illinois,  one  of  these  machines 
constructed  an  open  drainage  ditch,  having  a  22-ft.  bottom,  a  depth 
varying  from  4  ft.  to  6  ft.  and  i£  to  i  side  slopes.  The  machine  used 
had  a  4o-ft.  boom,  a  i  J-yd.  bucket  and  was  operated  by  a  7 -in.  X  lo-in. 
double  cylinder,  3 -drum  hoisting  engine,  with  swinging  drums  sprocket 
driven  from  the  front  drum  of  the  hoisting  engine.  The  weight  of  the 
machine  was  about  23  tons,  which  included  one  ton  of  coal  and  300 
gal.  of  water.  The  average  excavation  for  a  lo-hour  day  was  600  cu. 
yd.  and  the  fojlowing  table  gives  the  cost  of  the  work: 

Operator,  $4  •  oo 

Fireman,  2 . 50 

Trackman,  2 .  oo 

Coal,  5  •  oo 

Oil  and  Waste,  i .  oo 

Water,  i  •  oo 

$15-50 
Add  for  interest,  depreciation  and  repairs,  10.00 

Total,  $25.50 

For  600  cu.  yd.,  this  makes  a  cost  of  4.  25  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

During  the  month  of  December,  1911,  an  open  ditch  was  constructed 
in  DeWitt  County,  Illinois,  by  one  of  these  Guided-D  rag-Line- 
Bucket-Excavators.  The  ditch  was  3  ft.  wide  on  the  bottom,  with 
i£  to  i  side  slopes,  an  average  depth  of  6  ft.  and  with  8-ft.  berms.  The 
material  excavated  was  4  ft.  of  gumbo  and  the  substratum  yellow  clay. 
The  yardage  averaged  1 50  cu.  yd.  per  station. 

The  labor  employed  consisted  of  an  operator  at  $125  per  month,  a 
fireman  at  $2  per  day,  two  trackmen  at  $1.75  per  day  and  a  cook  at 
$40  per  month.  The  men  were  furnished  with  free  board  and  lodging. 
Following  is  a  tabulated  list  of  expenses: 


LOCOMOTIVE  CRANE  EXCAVATOR  133 

Labor, 

Coal, 

Coal  hauling, 

Repairs, 

Camp  supplies, 

Cook's  wages, 

Traveling  and  livery, 

Insurance, 

Miscellaneous, 

Total,  $234.28 

NOTE. — Coal  was  hauled  8  miles  from  a  railroad  siding  at  a  cost  of  8  cents 
per  hundred-weight  and  part  of  the  time  at  a  cost  of  $5  per  load.  The  item  of 
"camp  supplies"  does  not  include  some  supplies  used,  which  were  on  hand  and 
not  purchased  during  the  month.  "Traveling  and  livery"  include  a  special 
trip  to  inspect  work  and  attend  commissioners'  meeting. 

The  work  during  the  month  comprised  the  excavation  of  150! 
stations  of  150  cu.  yd.  each  and  took  loj  days.  The  average  cost 
per  day  was  $22.30,  the  cost  per  station  $15.10  and  the  cost  per 
cubic  yard  $0.10.  , 

47.  Locomotive  Crane  Excavator.1 — A  locomotive  crane  was  used 
during  April,  1910,  in  the  excavation  of  a  section  of  the  New  York 
State  Barge  Canal  near  Palmyra,  New  York.  The  crane  was  a 
standard  Brownhoist  crane  with  a  boom  having  a  length  of  50  ft. 
and  designed  to  carry  at  its  end  a  load  of  3  tons  on  a  48-ft.  radius 
and  with  a  counterweight  of  12,000  Ib.  in  the  buck  frame.  The  en- 
gine had  a  moving  gear,  a  reversible  swinging  gear,  and  both  drums 
are  equipped  with  spur  gears.  The  hoisting  and  drag  line  drums 
operated  independently,  the  former  having  a  diameter  of  22  in.  and 
controlled  by  a  hand  brake  and  friction  clutch,  while  the  latter  had 
a  diameter  of  20  in.  and  was  controlled  by  a  foot  brake.  The  power 
was  furnished  by  a  vertical  boiler  of  the  type  shown  in  Fig.  43.  The 
bucket  used  was  a  standard  Page  bucket  of  i  cu.  yd.  capacity. 

The  material  excavated  was  yellow  clay  for  a  depth  of  5  ft.  and 
underlaid  by  gravel  and  blue  clay. 

The  ditch  or  canal  had  a  top  width  of  60  ft.,  a  bottom  width  of  20 
ft.  and  a  depth  of  cut  varying  from  9  to  10.5  ft.  The  total  excava- 
tion made  by  the  crane  during  12  working  days  was  6,000  cu.  yd. 
The  labor  organization  comprised  two  crews,  each  working  an 
eight-hour  shift  and  made  up  as  follows: 

1  From  Article  in  Engineering-Contracting,  May  10,  1911.  Also  see  Chapter 
VIII. 


134  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

i  engineer,  $100.00  per  month, 

i  fireman,  50.00  per  month. 

4  laborers,  i .  60  per  day. 

The  average  cost  of  excavation  was  9.5  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

48.  Resume. — Various  forms  of  dry-land  excavators  have  been 
devised  and  used,  but  some  form  of  the  scraper  bucket  or  drag-line 
bucket  machine  is  the  most  popular.  This  type  of  excavator  is 
especially  adapted  to  canal  and  ditch  construction.  It  has  the 
desirable  method  of  operation  by  beginning  at  the  outlet  and 
working  up-stream.  Thus  the  ditch  is  completed  as  the  dredge 
moves  along  over  the  solid  earth  at  some  distance  ahead  of  the 
excavation.  This  will  be  noted  in  Fig.  54.  This  is  of  great  im- 
portance when  the  soil  is  soft,  loose  or  unstable. 

The  scraper-bucket  excavator  is  an  efficient  machine  for  the 
excavation  of  canals  and  ditches  where  the  amount  of  the  work 
will  be  greater  than  50,000  cu.  yd.  for  one  set  up  of  the  machine. 

With  careful  operation,  the  side  slopes  of  a  ditch  may  be  made 
quite  uniform  and  smooth.  The  tendency  is  to  make  these  side 
slopes  too  steep  or  steeper  than  i  to  i.  Unless  the  soil  is  a  dense 
clay  or  other  hard  and  firm  material,  the  side  slopes  should  never 
be  steeper  than  i  to  i.  However,  in  some  cases  it  is  necessary  to 
make  the  side  slopes  steeper,  then  the  bottom  width  should  be  made 
large  enough  to  allow  for  the  gradual  subsidence  of  the  earth  to  the 
natural  slope. 

A  scraper-bucket  excavator  has  recently  been  useol  economically 
in  coordination  with  a  floating  dipper  dredge  in  the  excavation  of 
large  ditches.  The  dry-land  machine  starts  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
ditch  and  works  up-stream,  excavating  the  upper  section  of  the 
ditch.  The  floating  dipper  dredge  commences  at  the  upper  end  of 
the  ditch  and  excavates  all  of  the  ditch  at  its  smaller  cross-sections 
and  completes  the  lower  section  of  the  ditch  at  its  lower  end,  where 
the  cross-sections  are  large. 

For  the  removal  of  sand,  silt  and  loose  gravel  from  natural 
streams  or  artificial  channels,  the  excavator  can  work  most  efficiently 
with  a  long  boom  and  a  clam-shell  or  orange-peel  bucket. 

With  the  successful  application  of  gasoline  power  to  a  scraper- 
bucket  excavator,  the  fuel  problem  is  considerably  lightened  for 
the  use  of  a  large  machine  at  a  distance  from  a  railroad.  The 
use  of  electric  power  is  the  ideal  method  of  operation,  when  such 
power  can  be  economically  obtained  from  a  local  transmission  line. 

The  amount  of  excavation  which  a  scraper-bucket  excavator 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


135 


can  accomplish  depends  on  the  size  of  the  excavator,  soil,  climatic 
conditions,  efficiency  of  operation,  etc.  Under  average  working 
conditions,  in  ordinary  clay  and  loam,  the  output  of  a  typical  2j-yd. 
machine  should  average  about  800  cu.  yd.  The  operating  cost 
should  be  from  4  to  6  cents  per  cubic  yard.  The  limitations  of  six 
sizes  of  a  standard  make  of  scraper-bucket  excavator  are  shown 
in  Fig.  56. 


Limitations  of  Various  Sizes  of  Drag-line  Excavator. 
Figure  56. 


information,    consult    the 


49.  Bibliography. — For    additional 
following: 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896  by 
Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,  8  by  n  in.,  105  figures. 

2.  Drainage  of  Irrigated  Lands  in  the  San  Joaquin  Valley,  California,  by 
Samuel  Fortier  and  Victor  McCone.     Bulletin  217,  published  by  Office  of  Experi- 
ment Stations,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  Ditching  with  the  Bowman  Ditcher,  T.  Ahern;  Railway  Age  Gazette, 
August  18,  1911.     Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

2.  The    Dredging    of    the   St.   Lawrence   River;    Engineering-Contracting, 
November  4,  1908. 

3.  A  Giant  Excavator;  Engineering,  London,  April  15,  1910.     2,000  words. 

4.  A  Giant  Sceam  Excavator;  Scientific  American,  July  9,  1910.     2,000  words. 

5.  Large  Bucket  Boom  Dredge;  Engineering  Record,  July  27,  1895. 

6.  Method  and  Cost  of  Operating  the  Weeks  Two-line  Shovel  for  Drag-line 


136  DR Y-LA ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

Excavators,  Glenville  A.  Collins;  Engineering-Contracting,  April  26,  1911.     Illus- 
trated, 1,000  words. 

7.  A  New  Style  of  Scraper  Excavator;  Engineering  News,  March  2,  1905. 
Illuttrated,  600  words. 

8.  Scraper-bucket  Excavator  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal;  Engineering- 
Contracting,  March  23,  1910. 

9.  Some  New  Excavating  Machines;  Engineering  News,  March   16,   1911. 
Illustrated,  2,000  words. 

10.  Some  Records  of  Work  with  a  Scraper-bucket  Excavator  on  the  New  York 
State  Barge  Canal;  Engineering-Contracting,  March  23,   1910.     1,000  words. 

B.  TEMPLET  EXCAVATORS 

50.  Austin  Drainage  Excavators. — Many  large,  open  ditches, 
which  have  been  excavated  with  various  forms  of  dredges,  are  very 
irregular  as  a  result  of  steep  side  slopes,  rough  sides  and  bottoms, 
and  the  caving  of  banks.  During  the  last  few  years,  an  excavator 


Austin  Templet  Excavator  with  Narrow  Bottom  Frame. 
Figure  57. 

has  come  into  general  use  for  the  construction  of  open  ditches  with 
true  and  smooth  side  slopes  and  grades.  This  new,  templet  form  of 
excavator  is  manufactured  by  the  Austin  Drainage  Excavator  Co. 
of  Chicago.  Two  scrapers  or  buckets  are  connected  together,  facing 
in  opposite  directions  (in  the  latest  machine  a  single  reversible  positive 
cleaning  bucket  is  used),  and  moved  along  a  guide  frame  shaped  to 
the  desired  cross-section  of  the  ditch.  This  guide  frame  is  supported 


TEMPLET  EXCAVATORS 


137 


Austin  Templet  Excavator  with  Wide  Bottom  Frame. 
Figure  58. 


Limitations  of  Austin  Templet  Excavator  with  Wide  Bottom  Frame. 
Figure  59. 


138 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 


on  the  front  end  of  a  large  framework,  which  moves  over  the  ground 
on  four  large  caterpillar  tractors.  The  ditch  prism  is  gradually 
constructed  by  the  excavation  in  thin  layers  of  the  earth,  which  the 
buckets  carry  to  the  outer  ends  of  the  frame,  where  the  bottoms  of 
the  buckets  are  tripped  and  the  contents  dumped,  either  on  spoil 
banks  or  into  wagons.  Two  types  of  excavator  are  made,  one  with 
a  pointed  or  narrow  templet  for  the  excavation  of  narrow  bottom 
ditches,  and  the  second  with  a  broad  templet  for  the  excavation  of 
wide  bottom  ditches.  Figs.  57  and  58  show  the  two  types  of  excavator 
in  operation,  and  Figs.  59  and  60  give  the  dimensions  and  show  the 
range  of  work  for  these  machines. 


-66 


A 


Limitations  of  Austin  Templet  Excavator  with  Narrow  Bottom  Frame. 

Figure  60. 

The  power  for  the  propulsion  of  the  buckets  and  the  movement 
of  the  machine  over  the  ground  is  furnished  by  a  steam  engine  and 
boiler  or  by  a  gas  engine.  If  the  former  is  used,  a  25-h.p.  to  4o-h.p. 
engine  will  be  required,  but  if  the  latter,  a  5o-h.p.  to  8o-h.p.  gas  engine 
should  be  used.  The  capacity  of  the  buckets  varies  from  J  cu.  yd. 
to  2  cu.  yd.  An  engineer  and  one  assistant  are  required  to  operate  the 
machine. 

5oa.  Use  in  Illinois. — One  of  these  templet  excavators  was  used 
in  the  construction  of  a  drainage  ditch  in  southern  Illinois.  The 
ditch  had  a  bottom  width  of  4  ft.,  side  slopes  of  ij  to  i,  an  average 


TEMPLET  EXCAVATORS  139 

depth  of  6  ft.,  and  a  length  of  10,600  ft.  The  total  excavation  was 
29,704  cu.  yd.  and  required  45  working  days.  The  machine  was 
dismantled,  hauled  6  miles,  and  erected  for  this  job,  and  the  cost 
for  this  complete  removal  was  $499.56.  Following  is  a  table  of  the 
operating  expenses  for  this  work,  based  on  a  cubic  yard  of  excavated 
material. 

OPERATING  EXPENSES  PER  CUBIC  YARD 

Superintendent,  $0.00250 

Engineer  and  fireman,  0.01434 

Moving  track,  0.01575 

Coal,  0.00880 

Repairs,  0.00602 

Board  for  entire  crew,  0.00710 

Explosives  for  stump  removal,  0.00440 

$0.05891 

The  excavator  was  dismantled,  hauled  4  miles  and  set  up  for  the 
next  job  at  a  cost  of  $756. 

The  soil  excavated  was  a  sandy  loam  underlaid  by  a  clay  subsoil. 
The  soil  was  heavy  and  wet  but  not  swampy. 

5ob.  Use  in  Colorado. — Two  templet  machines  were  used  during 
the  season  of  1911  for  the  excavation  of  irrigation  ditches  in  the  San 
Luis  Valley  in  Colorado. 

The  ditches  excavated  had  6-  and  8-ft.  bottom  widths,  an  average 
depth  of  6  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  ij  to  i.  The  material  varied  from 
a  sandy  loam  to  a  gravel  stratum  rilled  with  silt.  In  the  former 
material  the  average  excavation  was  750  cu.  yd.  for  a  1 2-hour  shift, 
while  in  the  latter  material  the  digging  was  hard  and  did  not  average 
over  500  cu.  yd.  per  shift. 

The  following  table  gives  the  average  cost  of  operation  for  a  12- 
hour  shift. 

operator,  $4.00 

fireman,  3  •  °° 

trackman,  i  •  5° 

man  and  team  on  track,  4-  25 

man  and  team  on  water  wagon,  4-  25 

cook,  ! • °° 

Coal  @  $4. 50  per  ton  on  cars,  6.00 

Boarding  supplies,  2.00 

Oil,  i  •  oo 

Repairs,  cable,  chain,  waste,  etc.,  i.oo 

Total,  $28.00 

At  750  cu.  yd.  for  each  12-hour  shift,  the  cost  of  operation  would  be  3.73 
cents  per  cubic  yard. 


140  DRY-LAND  EXCAVATORS 

5oc.  Use  in  Texas. — During  the  years  1910  and  1911,  an  Austin 
templet  excavator  was  used  in  the  construction  of  drainage  ditches 
in  northeastern  Texas.  The  soil  excavated  varied  from  a  sandy 
loam  to  a  dense  mixture  of  yellow  and  blue  clay.  The  ditches  all 
had  a  uniform  bottom  width  of  6  ft.,  the  depth  varying  from  6  to 
ii  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i.  In  loose,  open  soil,  the  average 
excavation  per  day  of  10  hours  was  1,000  cu.  yd.,  while  in  dense,  hard 
soil  this  amount  was  reduced  to  500  cu.  yd. 

The  cost  of  operation  per  day  of  10  hours  was  as  follows: 

i  operator, 

i  engineer, 

Supplies,  repairs,  etc., 

50  gallons  gasoline  @  10  cents, 

Total,  $15-50 

The  excavator  worked  very  satisfactorily  except  in  hard,  dense, 
blue  clay,  which  on  account  of  being  dry  was  in  many  places  too 
hard  to  cut.  The  ditches,  after  two  and  three  years  service,  have 
maintained  true  and  uniform  side  slopes,  with  very  little  caving  or 
shuffling  off  of  banks. 

51.  Junkin  Ditcher. — During  the  summer  of  1906,  an  excavator, 
very  similar  in  construction  and  method  of  operation  to  the  Austin 
excavator,  was  used  in  Pembina  County,  North  Dakota.  This 
machine  is  known  as  the  Junkin  Ditcher,  and  consists  of  a  steel- 
framed  car,  thoroughly  braced  and  trussed.  The  sides  of  the  car 
are  supported  on  two  trucks,  each  of  which  has  four  flanged  steel 
wheels  which  run  on  a  portable  track  laid  on  each  side  of  and  parallel 
to  the  ditch  line.  The  car  thus  straddles  the  ditch  and  moves  ahead 
parallel  to  it.  On  the  car  floor  is  placed  the  locomotive  type  boiler 
and  the  machinery,  which  consists  of  a  double  engine  of  70  h.p.  for 
operating  the  excavating  machinery  and  a  double  engine  of  30  h.p., 
for  operating  the  cutting  frame. 

At  the  rear  end  of  the  car  is  placed  a  large  triangular-shaped 
framework,  the  lower  end  of  which  is  made  like  a  templet  to  con- 
form to  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the  completed  ditch.  Around  the 
perimeter  of  each  half  of  this  frame  moves  a  bucket  belt,  composed 
of  two  chains  30  in.  apart  and  carrying  14  steel  buckets  spaced  at 
equal  distances.  These  buckets  have  cutting  edges  which  are 
bolted  to  the  sides  and  can  be  easily  removed  for  sharpening.  The 
chains  are  driven  toward  each  other  and  in  opposite  directions  by 
means  of  cog  gearing  and  move  over  large  sheaves  placed  at  the 


JUNKIN  DITCHER  141 

vertices  of  the  frame.  The  frame  is  fed  downward  by  a  screw  gear- 
ing. As  the  bucket  chains  revolve,  the  buckets  follow  each  other 
along  the  bottom  of  the  excavation  and  then  up  the  slopes,  each  one 
removing  a  thin  slice  of  earth,  which  is  carried  to  the  top  and  outer 
end  of  the  frame,  where  as  the  bucket  turns  about  the  sheave  and 
starts  on  its  return  course,  the  earth  falls  out  and  the  bucket  is 
automatically  cleaned  by  a  stationary  scraper.  As  the  earth  is 
excavated  the  frame  is  gradually  lowered  until  the  required  depth  is 
reached.  This  is  shown  by  a  graduated  scale  on  the  frame.  Thus 
a  strip  of  .earth  30  in.  wide  is  excavated  to  the  finished  grade  line  of 
the  proposed  ditch  and  the  machine  then  moves  ahead  30  in.  and 
another  strip  30  in.  wide  is  excavated  and  so  on  until  a  section  30  ft. 
long  has  been  dug.  Then  the  machine  is  run  back  to  the  beginning 
of  the  section  and  the  car  is  moved  slowly  ahead  and  the  buckets 
remove  the  loose  dirt  and  give  the  cross-section  a  final  smoothing 
up.  As  the  two  bucket  chains  do  not  come  together  at  the  center 
of  the  bottom,  a  ridge  is  left  in  the  completed  ditch  about  18  in. 
wide  at  the  base,  and  12  in.  high,  but  this  does  not  present  a  serious 
objection,  as  the  flow  of  water  in  the  ditch  soon  levels  it.  If  de- 
sired, the  ridge  can  be  removed  by  moving  the  earth  to  one  side  by 
hand  as  the  excavator  proceeds  on  its  first  trip  and  this  surplus  ma- 
terial would  be  removed  during  the  second  passage  of  the  excavator. 

The  track  is  made  in  3o-ft.  sections,  which  are  moved  ahead  of 
the  machine  by  a  team  of  horses,  as  fast  as  the  sections  of  excavation 
are  completed.  The  excavator  starts  at  the  outlet  of  a  ditch  and 
works  up-stream,  the  excavating  being  done  on  the  down-stream 
side  of  the  car. 

The  labor  required  to  operate  a  Junkin  ditcher  consists  of  one 
operator,  who  controls  the  operation  of  the  excavator;  one  fireman 
and  one  oiler  to  feed  the  boiler  and  care  for  the  machinery;  a  man 
and  team  for  hauling  water  for  the  boiler  and  four  men  and  a  team 
to  move  the  track. 

An  average  amount  of  fuel  of  two  tons  of  coal  is  required  to  run 
the  machine  during  a  1 4-hour  working  day. 

The  average  excavation  made  by  this  machine  during  a  33  days' 
run  of  14  hours  per  day,  was  1,449  cu.  yd.  or  about  loocu.  yd.  per 
hour.  The  ditch  excavated  had  a  lo-ft.  bottom,  side  slopes  of  ii  to 
i  and  a  depth  varying  from  6  to  12  ft.  A  5-ft.  berm  is  left  on  either 
side  of  the  ditch  and  the  spoil  banks  have  a  triangular  section  and 
excavated  material  is  deposited  in  them  in  a  finely  divided 
condition. 


142 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 


The  excavator  has  a  total  weight  of  60  tons  and  is  made  in  sec- 
tions so  that  it  can  be  easily  and  readily  assembled  or  dismantled. 


Rear  View  of  Junkin  Ditcher. 
Figure  61. 


Ditch  Excavated  by  Junkin  Ditcher. 
Figure  62. 

The  boiler  is  the  only  part  of  the  machine  which  cannot  be  loaded 
on  to  an  ordinary  wagon.  It  is  said  that  the  dismantling  and  load- 
ing upon  wagons  can  be  accomplished  by  eight  men  in  two  and  one- 


TEMPLET  EXCAVATORS  143 

half  days  and  set  up  by  the  same  crew  in  five  days.  Fig.  61  shows  a 
rear  view  of  a  Junkin  ditcher  and  Fig.  62  a  ditch  constructed  by  this 
machine. 

52.  Resum£. — A  ditch  should  be  excavated  to  a  true  grade  and 
with  uniform  and  smooth  side  slopes  in  order  to  ensure  high  working 
efficiency.     Drainage    and    irrigation    ditches    are   peculiarly    sus- 
ceptible to  filling  up  with  silt,  debris  and  vegetation  during  seasons 
of  low  water.     The  author  has  seen  very  few  ditches,  whose  ca- 
pacity and  efficiency,  after  three  to  five  years  of  use,  were  not 
considerably  reduced.     In  the  case  of  small  ditches  this  often  be- 
comes a  serious  matter,  sometimes  rendering  the  ditch  practically 
useless.     The  only  remedy  in  such  a  case  is  the  re-excavation  of  the 
ditch.     Large   ditches   generally   require   cleaning   out   every   few 
years   in   order   to   maintain   their   efficiency   and  usefulness.     In 
order  to  reduce  this  expense  and  trouble  of  maintenance  to  a  mini- 
mum, ditches  should  be  excavated  as  nearly  mechanically  true  and 
uniform  as  is  possible  under  existing  conditions. 

The  templet  excavator  is  the  best  form  of  excavating  machine 
for  the  construction  of  an  open  ditch,  when  the  soil  conditions 
are  favorable.  Although  this  machine  is  beyond  the  experimental 
stage,  its  field  of  work  is  rather  limited.  It  is  not  suited  to  the 
excavation  of  very  wetland  or  where  trees,  stumps  and  stone  abound. 
The  recent  machines  are  equipped  with  roller  caterpillar  traction 
and  can  work  on  soft  soil  by  commencing  at  the  outlet  and  working 
up-stream.  Cases  have  come  to  the  author's  attention,  where  this 
machine  has  been  unable  to  excavate  dense  clay  and  hard-pan. 
These  defects  of  excessive  weight  and  lack  of  power  should  be 
remedied  in  the  near  future  by  the  manufacturers. 

The  templet  excavator,  in  the  excavation  of  the  average  firm 
soil  of  clay  and  loam,  under  average  working  conditions,  has  an 
average  daily  output  of  about  700  cu.  yd.  The  operating  cost 
will  vary  from  4  to  8  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

53.  Bibliography. — For  further  information,  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  the  following: 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896 
by  Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,  105  figures,  8  by 
ii  in. 

2.  Excavating  Machinery  by  J.  O.  Wright.     Bulletin  published  in  1904  by 
Department  of  Drainage  Investigation  of  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 
Washington,  D.  C. 


144  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  A  German  Excavator  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal,  Emile  Low; 
Engineering  Record,  April  21,  1906.     Illustrated,  700  words. 

2.  Lowrie's  Power  Excavator;  Railroad  Gazette,  December  8,  1899.     Illus- 
trated, 1,300  words. 

3.  Mechanical    Appliances    for    Canal    Excavation,    E.    Leader    Williams; 
Engineering  News,  October  31,  1891. 

4.  Methods  of  Excavating  Canal  Using  a  Bridge  Conveyor  Excavator,  with 
Costs  of  Work  for  Twenty-four  Consecutive  Months;  Engineering-Contracting, 
November  23,  1910.     Illustrated,  1,800  words. 

5.  A  New  Canal  Excavator;  Railroad  Gazette,  September  25,  1891.     Illus- 
trated, 400  words. 

6.  The  Van  Buren  Excavator;  Iron  Age,  October  7,  1909.     Illustrated,  1,500 
words. 

C.  WHEEL  EXCAVATORS 

55.  Field  of  Work. — Under  this  heading  will  be  described  machines 
used  only  for  the  construction  of  open  ditches.     The  wheel  machines 
of  the  trench  excavator  type  will  be  described  in  Chapter  VIII. 

The  wheel  excavator  is  constructed  so  as  to  make  a  trench  or  open 
ditch  with  sloping  sides  at  a  continuous  cut.  It  is  especially  useful 
in  the  construction  of  lateral  ditches  for  the  drainage  of  wet  prairie 
lands. 

56.  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher.— Fig.   63  shows  a  typical  wheel 
excavator,  which  is  made  by  the  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher  Co., 
of  Findlay,  Ohio.     As  will  be  seen  from  the  illustration,  the  ditcher 
consists  of  a  frame,  which  supports  an  engine  on  the  front  end  and 
on  the  rear  end  a  pivoted  framework  containing  an  excavating  wheel. 
This  is  an  open  wheel  which  revolves  upon  anti-friction  wheels  placed 
just  outside  the  rim  of  the  wheel.     Around  the  circumference  of  the 
wheel  are  1 2  open  buckets,  open  front  and  back  and  with  continuous, 
closed  sides.     The  front  edge  of  each  bucket  is  provided  with  a  cutting 
edge,  which  removes  a  slice  of  earth  in  the  revolution  of  the  wheel. 
When  a  bucket  reaches  the  top  of  the  wheel,  the  earth  falls  out  of 
the  bucket  upon  a  belt  conveyor.     This  conveyor  or  carrier  can  be 
set  to  carry  the  earth  outside  of  the  ditch  to  the  spoil  bank  on  either 
side.     Where  loose,  sandy  or  gravelly  soil  is  encountered,  it  is  neces- 
sary to  use  solid  buckets.     One  of  the  special  features  of  this  machine 
is  the  use  of  Apron  or  Caterpillar  Tractions,  which  spread  the  weight 
of _  the  machine  over  a  large  area  and  allow  the  machine  to  travel 
over  wet  soil,  which  would  support  a  team  of  horses  and  an  empty 
wagon.     This  machine  is  built  in  several  sizes,  so  that  ditches  may 


WHEEL  EXCAVATORS 


145 


be  excavated  having  top  widths  from  2\  ft.  to  12  ft.  and  side  slopes 
of  any  reasonable  amount.  The  excavator  shown  in  Fig.  63  weighs 
15  tons  and  costs  $5,200  f.o.b.  factory. 

57.  Austin  Wheel  Ditcher.— The  Austin  Wheel  Ditcher,  manu- 
factured by  the  F.  C.  Austin  Drainage  Excavator  Co.,  of  Chicago, 
is  another  well-known  make  of  this  type  of  excavator.  Fig.  65  shows 


Wheel  Excavator. 
Figure  63. 

one  of  these  machines  excavating  an  open  ditch.  The  essential 
parts  of  this  excavator  are  the  same  as  those  of  the  Buckeye;  the  main 
difference  being  in  the  construction  of  the  excavating  wheel.  In  this 
machine  the  wheel  frame  supports  a  central  shaft  about  which  the 
wheel  revolves.  The  bottom  width  is  cut  directly  by  a  series  of 
self-cleansing  buckets,  which  are  placed  on  the  circumference  of  the 
wheel.  The  side  or  lateral  supports  of  the  wheel  have  cutting  edges 
and  make  the  side  slopes  of  the  ditch.  The  following  table  gives  the 
capacity,  weight,  cost,  etc.,  of  the  two  different  sizes  of  this  excavator. 
These  machines  are  all  convertible,  so  that  by  removing  the  side 
supports,  the  bank  sloping  attachment  is  eliminated  and  the  machine 
becomes  a  trench  excavator.  The  machines  are  built  of  steel  through- 
out, special  alloy  steel  being  used  for  the  gears,  the  wearing  parts 
such  as  the  bushings  and  pins  of  the  excavator  chain,  the  links  of  the 
caterpillar  tractions,  and  the  cutting  edges  of  the  buckets  are  of 
manganese  steel. 
10 


146 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 


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WHEEL  EXCA  VA  TORS 


147 


The  ditchers  are  generally  equipped  with  caterpillar  tractions 
for  the  two  rear  wheels.  These  moving,  endless  platforms  distribute 
the  weight  of  the  machine  over  a  large  area  and  thus  enable  the 
machine  to  move  over  soft  ground.  The  sizes  of  caterpillar  tractions 
used  are  given  in  the  following  table. 


Size  of  machine 

Size  of  caterpillar  traction 

00 

.4  ft.  wide  by  6  ft.  long. 

ft.  wide  by  ii  ft,  long. 


It  has  generally  been  found  more  economical  to  use  a  gasoline 
engine  instead  of  steam-power  for  the  operation  of  these  ditchers. 
Gasoline  is  cheaper  and  easier  to  handle  than  coal  and  the  cost  of 


Wheel  Ditcher  operating  under  Gasoline  Power. 
Figure  64. 


the  developed  horse-power  is  less  with  the  former  type  of  fuel  than 
with  the  latter.  A  gasoline  engine  takes  up  less  space,  is  easier  and 
cleaner  to  operate  than  a  steam  boiler  and  engine.  A  No.  oo  size 


148 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 


ditcher  requires  a  24-h.p.  gasoline  engine  and  a  No.  o  size  ditcher  a 
40-h.p.  engine. 

The  average  yardage,  for  one  of  these  excavators,  is  about  300 
cu.  yd.  per  lo-hour  day,  in  the  excavation  of  a  ditch  in  ordinary  soil 
of  loam  and  clay.  Under  favorable  conditions  of  soil,  climate  and 
operation,  a  maximum  yardage  of  500  cu.  yd.  has  been  made. 

Figure  64  shows  a  No.  o  machine  equipped  with  a  four-cylinder, 
4o-h.p.  gasoline  engine  starting  the  excavation  of  a  ditch  with  a 
bottom  width  of  3  ft.  and  a  maximum  depth  of  5  ft. 


Wheel  Excavator  Constructing  Small  Ditch. 
Figure  65. 


Figure  65  shows  a  No.  oo  ditcher  excavating  a  ditch  with  a  bottom 
width  of  2  ft.  and  an  average  depth  of  4  ft.  This  view  clearly  illus- 
trates the  smooth  side  slopes  and  true  grade  of  the  ditch  and  shows 
the  spoil  bank  neatly  made  at  one  side  of  the  ditch  and  with  a  clean 
berm  between  it  and  the  edge  of  the  ditch. 

58.  Resume. — The  wheel  excavator  is  the  most  practical  machine 
for  the  excavation  of  small  open  ditches.  In  irrigation  and  drainage 
systems,  where  the  laterals  and  distributaries  run  full  only  during 
a  small  part  of  each  year,  a  large  amount  of  silt,  debris  and  vegetation 
generally  accumulates.  These  obstructions  will  in  a  few  years, 
unless  removed,  greatly  impair  the  efficiency  of  the  channel.  Hence, 


WHEEL  EXCAVATORS  149 

it  is  necessary  that  these  smaller  ditches  especially  should  be  excavated 
to  a  true  grade  and  with  smooth,  uniform  side  slopes. 

Irrigation  ditches  are  often  lined  with  some  impervious  material 
such  as  concrete  to  prevent  seepage  losses.  It  is  a  great  advantage 
in  such  a  case  to  have  the  ditch  excavated  to  true  grade  and  side 
slopes  so  that  the  forms  for  the  concrete  lining  may  be  set  without 
the  expense  and  extra  labor  of  trimming  and  shaping  the  excavation. 

The  belt  conveyor  of  the  wheel  excavator  removes  the  excavated 
material  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  ditch,  leav- 
ing a  clean  berm.  It  is  important  that  the  spoil  banks  should  be 
far  enough  from  the  edges  of  the  ditch  to  prevent  caving  and  the 
washing  back  of  the  excavated  material  into  the  ditch. 

As  regards  the  capacity  and  operating  cost  of  a  wheel  excavator, 
the  following  estimate  is  based  on  recent  experience  in  drainage 
ditch  excavation  in  the  South.  Let  us  assume  an  average  size  of 
machine  which  digs  a  ditch  having  a  top  width  of  4  ft.  6  in.,  average 
depth  of  3  ft.  6  in.,  bottom  width  rounded  to  12  in.  and  side  slopes 
of  about  i  to  i.  Average  soil  and  working  conditions  are  con- 
sidered. 

Labor:  Per  day 

i  operator,  @  $125  per  month,  $5.00 

i  assistant  operator,  2 . 50 

4  laborers,  @  $2,  8.00 


Total  labor  cost,  $15  •  5° 

Fuel: 

20  gal.  of  gasoline  @  $o.  16,  4.80 

Miscellaneous :  Per  day 

Oil,  waste,  etc.,  $0.60 
Repairs  and  maintenance,  5.00 
Interest,  6  per  cent,  of  $6,000,  2 .  oo 
Depreciation,  150  working  days  a  year,  for  eight- 
year  life,  5-°° 


Total  miscellaneous,  •  $12.60 


Total  operating  cost  per  day,  $32  •  9° 

Average  progress  per  day,  2,500  ft 

Average  daily  excavation,  870  cu.  yd. 

Average  cost  of  excavation,  $32.90-7-870  $o. 038  per  cubic  yard. 


150 


DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 
D.  TOWER  EXCAVATORS 


62.  Single  Tower  Excavator. — A  type  of  drag-line  excavator 
which  was  used  with  success  several  years  ago  on  the  Chicago 
Drainage  Canal  and  recently  on  the  construction  of  the  New  York 
State  Barge  Canal,  is  the  Tower  Excavator. 

As  shown  by  Figs.  66  and  67  the  excavator  derives  its  name  from 


Tower  Excavator. 
Figure  66. 

its  principal  part,  which  is  a  movable  tower.  The  latter  is  a  framed 
timber  structure,  the  height  of  which  is  determined  by  the  width 
of  the  ditch  or  canal  to  be  excavated.  The  height  varies  from  50 
to  85  ft.,  with  an  average  height  of  75  ft.  The  tower  rests  on  a 
platform  or  car  which  is  trussed  by  overhead,  horizontal,  chord, 
combination  trusses.  The  car  is  mounted  on  four  solid  double- 


TOWER  EXCAVATORS 


151 


flange  cast  steel  wheels,  generally  about  14  to  16  in.  in  diameter, 
and  with  4-in.  treads.  The  wheels  run  on  a  track,  which  consists  of 
80-  to  Qo-lb.  rails,  spiked  to  cross  ties,  bolted  to  3o-ft.  planks.  The 
car  and  tower  are  moved  ahead  by  a  cable  which  passes  over  a 
sheave  on  the  car  and  to  a  "dead-man"  placed  at  a  suitable  point 
ahead  of  the  car,  and  then  back  to  a  "nigger  head"  on  the  engine. 
The  track  section  is  moved  ahead  in  a  similar  manner.  The  tower 
is  braced  to  the  car  by  cables  which  extend  from  the  top  of  the 
tower  to  the  rear  end  corners  of  the  car. 


*  / 


Tower  Excavator. 
Figure  67. 

On  the  rear  end  of  the  car  is  placed  the  power  equipment,  which 
consists  of  a  vertical  boiler  and  a  double  drum,  ioXi2-in.  vertical 
engine  with  two  "nigger  heads."  The  machinery  in  the  best 
plants  is  operated  by  a  man  stationed  on  a  platform  placed  on  the 
rear  side  of  the  tower  about  one-third  of  its  height.  The  operator 
controls  the  excavator  by  suitable  levers  and  brakes,  and  he  has 
an  unobstructed  view  of  the  work. 


152 


DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 


The  bucket  used  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  68,  is  a  two-line  scraper  bucket 
with  peculiar  features.  At  the  rear  of  the  bucket  is  a  frame  carrying 
two  sheaves  at  right  angles  to  the  cutting  edge,  which  is  strongly 
reinforced.  On  the  bottom  of  the  bucket  are  two  curved  shims  or 
shoes.  The  front  of  the  bucket  is  connected  to  the  drag-line  drum 
of  the  engine  by  a  cable  which  passes  over  a  sheave  suspended  on 
the  front  side  of  the  tower  about  one-fourth  to  one-third  of  its 
height.  Another  cable  extends  from  the  hoisting  drum  of  the 
engine  over  a  sheave  at  the  top  of  the  tower,  then  between  the  sheaves 
fastened  to  the  bail  of  the  bucket  and  then  fastened  to  an  anchorage 
at  the  other  side  of  the  ditch.  The  bucket  is  loaded  by  pulling  it 


Scraper  Bucket  of  Tower  Excavator. 
Figure  68. 

toward  the  tower  by  winding  up  the  drag-line  cable.  When  the 
spoil  bank  is  reached,  the  hoisting  cable  is  raised  and  the  bucket 
is  overturned  and  dumped.  The  bucket  is  returned  to  the  ditch 
by  still  further  tightening  the  hoisting  cable  and  releasing  the  drag- 
line cable,  whereby  the  bucket  rises  and  slides  back  to  the  starting- 
point.  Where  a  tower  65  ft.  high  has  been  used,  a  reach  of  210  ft. 
from  the  far  side  of  the  ditch  to  the  near  side  of  the  spoil  bank  was 
used  with  efficiency  of  operation.  A  scraper  bucket  of  2  cu.  yd. 


TOWER  EXCAVATORS  153 

has  an  average  carrying  capacity  of  3  cu.  yd.  and  has  been  operated 
at  the  rate  of  4  cu.  yd.  a  minute.  Under  favorable  conditions  in 
the  excavation  of  loam  and  clay,  2,000  cu.  yd.  have  been  excavated 
during  a  lo-hour  shift  and  where  two  shifts  have  been  used  per  day, 
an  average  monthly  excavation  of  40,000  cu.  yd.  has  been  made. 
The  following  table  gives  the  cost  of  operation  of  the  tower  drag- 
scraper  excavator  under  normal  conditions  for  a  lo-hour  shift.' 

i  engineer,  $3 . 50 

i  fireman,  2 . 50 

i  foreman,  4.00 

i  signal  man,  2 .  oo 

1  cable  shifter,  1.75 
4  laborers,  @  $i .  75,  7.00 

2  tons  of  coal  @  $3  6.00 
Maintenance,  repairs,  etc.,  o.  75 
Depreciation,  interest  on  investment,  etc.,  2.00 


Total  cost  of  operation,  $29.  50 

The  cost  of  a  complete  tower  excavator  would  be  about  $2,oco. 

62a.  Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal.1— The  following  is  a 
detailed  estimate  of  the  cost  of  a  tower  excavator,  which  has  recently 
(1910-12)  been  used  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal. 

5,080  ft.  B.  M.  lumber  @  $38  per  M,  $    IQ3-Q4 

360  ft.  B.  M.  white  oak  @  $45  per  M,  16.20 

540  Ib.  iron  bolts  and  nuts  @  6  cents,  32-4° 

1 20  ft.  f-in.  wire  rope  backstays,  13.  20 

2  f-in.  turnbuckles,  -80 

i  headblock  sheave  and  bearing,  To.oo 

i  hauling  sheave  and  bearing,  4.00 

i  8|Xio-in.  Lidgerwood  double-drum  hoisting 

engine,  1,089.00 

i  scraper  bucket,  complete  with  cutting  edge, 

sheaves,  etc.,  300.00 
Labor  erection  (carpenters  @  $2.50  for  eight- 
hour  day),  200.00 


Total,  $1,858.64 

At  a  cost  of  operation  for  a  two-shift  day  of  $60  and  with  an  average 
daily  excavation  of  2,000  cu.  yd.,  the  cost  of  operation  per  cubic  yard 
would  be  3  cents. 

During  April,   1910,   a  tower  excavator2  was  used  on  Contract 

1  Engineering-Contracting,  October  26,  1910. 

2  Engineering- Contracting,  Sept.  28,  1910. 


154  DRY-LAND  EXCAVATORS 

No.  42  of  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal.  The  material  excavated 
consisted  mostly  of  a  heavy  gumbo  soil.  The  tower  was  85  ft.  high 
and  the  bucket  used  had  a  capacity  of  ij  cu.  yd.  The  excavator 
was  operated  by  a  ioXi2-in.  hoisting  engine,  which  was  furnished 
steam  from  a  4o-h.p.  boiler.  Following  is  a  tabulated  statement  of 
the  cost  of  labor  and  excavation. 

i  operator,  per  day,  $4 .  oo 

i  fireman  @  $75  per  month,  per  day,  2.50 

i  foreman  @  $200  per  month,  per  day,  6.67 

i  pumpman,  per  day,  i .  50 

6  laborers  @  $i .  50  per  day,  9 .  oo 


Total  cost  of  labor  per  day,  $23 . 67 

Total  cost,  $1,455.81 

Total  cubic  yards  excavated,  I5J°65 

Cost  per  cubic  yard,  $o .  096 

Although  this  type  of  excavator  has  been  rarely  used  and  is  little 
known  and  understood  by  contractors,  its  use  in  the  past  has  clearly 
demonstrated  its  efficiency  and  economy  of  operation,  especially 
in  the  excavation  of  large  ditches. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  year  1910,  a  tower  excavator  was  at 
work  on  a  section  of  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal.  The  following 
statement  of  the  cost  of  operation  has  been  furnished  by  the 
contractors: 

Labor: 

i  fireman  @  37^  cents  per  hour,  $3.00 

i  engineer  ©37!  cents  per  hour,  3 .  oo 

i  fireman  @  22  cents  per  hour,  i .  76 

i  signal  man  ©25  cents  per  hour,  2 .  oo 

9  laborers  @  20  cents  per  hour,  14 .40 

Total  cots  of  labor  per  shift,         $24.16 
Total  cost  of  labor  per  month 
(52  shifts),  $1256.32 


Material: 


Wire  cable,  $160.00 

Fuel,  20  tons  of  coal  @  $4,  80.00 

Oil,  waste  and  repairs,  15 .00 


Total  cost  per  month,  $255 .  oo 

Interest  on  investment  \  per  cent,  per  month,  9.30 


DOUBLE  TOWER  EXCAVATOR 


155 


$1520.62 
18,200 


Total  cost  of  operation   (not  including 

office  expenses), 

Total  excavation  @  700  cu.  yd.  per  day, 
Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard; 

$1520.62-7-18,200=  $0.084 

63.  Double  Tower  Excavator. — A  double  tower  drag-line  excavator 
was  used  with  very  satisfactory  results  in  the  excavation  of  two 
sections  of  the  Chicago  Drainage  Canal.  The  canal  prism,  which 
this  excavator  made  was  unusually  true  to  the  theoretical  cross- 


Ens.  Contg. 


Plan 


Diagram  of  Double  Tower  Excavator. 
Figure  69. 

section,  there  being  less  than  ij  cu.  yd.  of  excavation  per  lineal 
foot  outside  of  the  required  lines. 

The  canal  excavated  had  a  bottom  width  of  26  ft.  and  side  slopes 
of  2  to  i.  The  average  depth  was  27 J  ft.  The  canal  lay  in  nearly  a 
level  plain  and  the  material  excavated  was  clay. 

This  excavator  was  designed  by  the  late  J.  T.  Fanning  of  Chicago, 
and  consisted  principally  of  two  towers  and  two  buckets.  Fig.  69  is 
a  diagram  illustrating  the  principles  of  construction  and  operation. 
It  will  be  shown  by  the  plan  that  the  two  inclined  booms  are  so  con- 
structed that  a  straight  line  from  the  apex  of  either  tower  to  the  point 
of  the  opposite  boom,  clears  the  side  of  the  tower.  This  allows  the 
bucket  to  clear  the  tower  and  empty  directly  on  the  adjacent  spoil 
bank.  As  will  be  seen  from  Fig.  69,  there  are  two  buckets,  working 
in  opposite  directions  and  each  excavating  its  half  of  the  canal  prism. 

A  double-drum  hoisting  engine  was  placed  on  the  side  of  the  plat- 
form of  each  tower.  Each  bucket  was  operated  by  a  drag  or  digging 


156  DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 

line  and  a  load  line.  The  drag  line  was  run  from  the  smaller  drum 
of  the  engine  to  the  bucket,  which  dug  in  a  downward  direction  on 
the  side  of  the  canal  opposite  to  its  tower.  The  load  line,  which  is 
slack  during  the  filling  of  the  bucket,  extends  from  the  larger  drum 
of  the  engine,  upward  through  the  tower,  over  a  sheave  near  the  apex 
of  the  tower,  then  out  to  a  stationary  sheave,  wrhich  is  suspended 
between  the  two  towers,  then  down  to  a  sheave  attached  to  the  bail 
of  the  bucket  and  then  out  to  the  end  of  the  boom  on  the  opposite 
tower.  As  soon  as  the  bucket  is  filled  the  load  line  is  wound  up  with 
the  drag  line  kept  taut.  This  raises  the  bucket  up  above  the  surface 


Double  Tower  Excavator. 
Figure  70. 

of  the  ground  and  to  an  elevation  slightly  higher  than  the  point  of 
the  boom.  Then  the  drag  line  is  released  and  the  bucket  allowed  to 
run  down  the  load  line  by  gravity  to  the  dump  pile  or  spoil  bank  near 
the  end  of  the  boom.  By  changing  the  location  of  the  suspended 
sheaves,  the  position  of  the  bucket  in  digging  can  be  altered  so  as  to 
reach  the  entire  half  width  of  the  canal  prism. 

The  buckets  used  had  a  capacity  of  f  cu.  yd.  and  a  tripping  device 
near  the  end  of  each  boom,  caused  the  bottom  of  each  bucket  to 
swing  loose  and  drop  the  load  on  the  spoil  bank. 

The  excavator  was  used  for  a  period  of  two  years  on  daily  shifts 
of  10  hours.  The  labor  employed  consisted  of  an  engineer,  a 
fireman  and  a  track  gang  of  five  men.  An  average  gang  of  12  men, 
including  a  superintendent,  a  watchman  and  the  operating  laborers, 
were  used.  The  average  daily  excavation  was  500  to  600  cu.  yd. 
The  maximum  monthly  excavation  was  19,000  cu.  yd.  in  June, 


WALKING  DREDGES  157 

1910,  while  the  minimum  monthly  excavation  was  4,750  cu.  yd.  in 
December,  1908.  A  record  of  two  trips  per  minute  for  each  bucket 
was  made  but  the  average  speed  of  excavation  was  one  trip  per 
minute. 

64.  Resume. — The  tower  excavator  is  a  type  which  was  de- 
veloped about  20  years  ago  during  the  construction  of  the  Chicago 
Drainage  Canal.  The  original  machine  had  one  tower  and  bucket, 
while  the  later  examples  use  two  towers  and  buckets. 

This  novel  excavator  has  been  used  with  great  success  upon  the 
Chicago  Drainage  Canal  and  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal. 
The  field  for  such  a  machine  is  a  large  canal,  where  the  material  is  of 
the  class  that  can  be  economically  handled  by  a  scraper  bucket. 
Very  soft  and  wet  soil  or  rock  could  not  be  successfully  handled. 
There  are  often  wide  irrigation  and  drainage  canals  constructed  by 
the  use  of  other  excavators  with  considerable  difficulty  and  delay, 
which  could  be  built  to  great  economic  advantage  with  the  tower 
excavator.  For  a  ditch  with  a  top  width  of  over  60  ft.,  it  is  generally 
necessary  to  use  dry-land  excavators  in  pairs,  one  on  each  bank,  or  a 
large  floating  dredge  which  must  move  from  one  side  of  the  canal 
to  the  other.  With  the  tower  excavator,  a  canal  of  any  practical 
width  can  be  excavated  by  one  machine  at  one  set-up  and  completed 
as  the  machine  advances. 

E.  WALKING  DREDGES 

68.  Field  of  Work. — In  construction  work  on  drainage  and  irriga- 
tion projects  it  is  often  the  case  that  several  ditches  are  to  be  ex- 
cavated in  the  same  locality.     When  the  excavator  is  through  with 
one  ditch  and  wishes  to  start  in  on  another  ditch,  it  is  often  neces- 
sary to  dismantle  the  excavator,  transport  the  parts  to  the  new  site 
and  assemble  them.     This  often  entails  an  expenditure  of  con- 
siderable time  and  labor.     To  provide  an  excavator  which  would 
move  itself  over  ordinary  country  from  one  job  to  another,  the 
walking  dredge  was  devised.     The  first  machine  of  which  the  author 
has  knowledge  was  constructed  about  10  years  ago  by  A.  N.  Cross 
of  Tomah,  Wisconsin,  and  since  that  time  a  large  number  of  these 
dredges   have  been  constructed  and  used,  especially  on  drainage 
work  in  Minnesota,  Iowa  and  Nebraska. 

69.  Description  of  Dredge. — The  walking  dredge  consists  of  a 
wooden  hull,  constructed  of  heavy  timbers,  and  braced  along  the 
sides  by  large,  overhead,  wooden  trusses.    The  hull  is  made  of  sufficient 


158 


DRY -LAND  EXCAVATORS 


width  to  straddle  the  ditch  as  it  is  being  excavated.  On  the  front 
of  the  hull  is  placed  the  A-frame,  which  generally  is  composed  of 
two  heavy  timbers  bolted  to  the  sides  of  the  hull  at  their  lower  ends 
with  their  upper  ends  meeting  in  a  "head"  casting.  The  A-frame 
is  set  in  a  vertical  plane  and  braced  by  wrire  cables,  which  extend  from 
the  top  of  the  frame  to  the  rear  of  the  hull.  Fig.  71  gives  a  side 
view  of  a  dredge  showing  truss  and  A-frame  in  detail. 

On  the  floor  of  the  hull  is  placed  the  boiler  and  machinery.  When 
steam-power  is  used  the  equipment  is  very  similar  to  that  used  on  a 
floating-dipper  dredge;  the  boiler  being  placed  on  the  rear  end  and 


Side  View  of  Walking  Dredge. 
Figure  71. 

in  front  are  placed  the  hoisting  and  swinging  engines.  On  account 
of  the  expense  of  getting  coal,  where  the  work  is  a  long  distance 
from  a  railroad,  it  has  been  found  more  economical  to  use  a  gasoline 
engine  to  furnish  the  power.  Engines  from  16  to  50  h.p.  are  used, 
depending  on  the  capacity  of  the  machine,  the  size  of  the  ditch  and 
the  character  of  the  soil.  A  machine  with  a  4o-ft.  boom  and  a  i|-yd. 
dipper  has  been  satisfactorily  worked  with  a.5o-h.p.  gasoline  engine. 
The  excavator  is  supported  at  each  of  its  front  corners  by  a  timber 
platform  constructed  like  a  stone  boat  and  called  a  foot.  Each  foot 
is  6  ft.  wide,  8  ft.  long  and  4  in.  thick  and  an  iron  bar  fastened  to  the 
bottom  near  the  front  edge  prevents  slipping.  Each  pair  of  feet 
is  joined  transversely  by  a  light  timber,  so  that  both  will  move 
conjointly  and  in  the  same  direction.  Each  foot  is  pivoted  to  the 
hull  and  connected  to  a  drum  by  a  chain,  so  that  by  revolving  the 


WALKING  DREDGES 


159 


drum,  the  direction  of  the  feet  may  be  changed  by  the  operator. 
In  the  center  of  each  side  or  midway  between  the  corner  feet,  is  a 
center  foot,  similar  in  construction  to  the  corner  feet  but  having  a 
length  of  14  ft.  and  a  width  of  6  ft.  On  the  under  side  of  each  cen- 
ter foot,  a  6X6-in.  timber  is  fastened  transversely  to  prevent  slipping. 
A  large  timber  extends  from  the  top  of  each  center  foot,  between  each 
pair  of  trusses,  where  it  is  pivoted.  A  chain,  one  end  of  which  is 
fastened  to  the  side  timbers  of  the  hull,  passes  over  two  pulleys  at- 
tached to  the  frame  on  which  the  foot  support  is  pivoted,  and  then 


Corner  Foot  of  Walking  Dredge. 
Figure  72. 

passes  along  the  hull  to  the  rear  corner  and  across  the  back  end  to 
a  drum  near  the  center  of  the  hull.  To  move  the  machine  the  drum 
is  revolved  and  the  winding  up  of  the  chain  pulls  the  foot  support 
gradually  to  a  vertical  position.  This  raises  the  dredge  from  the 
corner  feet  and  it  moves  ahead  about  6  ft.  The  rear  chain  is  then 
released  and  the  weight  is  taken  off  of  the  center  foot,  which  is  pulled 
ahead  by  a  chain  attached  to  a  drum,  located  near  the  center  of  the 
front  part  of  the  hull.  Fig.  72  shows  a  detail  view  of  a  corner  foot. 
The  boom  is  made  up  of  two  parts,  the  upper  part  is  supported 
at  its  lower  end  on  a  turntable  similar  to  those  used  on  a  floating- 


160  DR  Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

dipper  dredge.  The  upper  end  is  supported  by  a  cable  from  the 
peak  of  the  A-frame.  The  lower  part  of  the  boom  is  pivoted  at  one 
end  to  the  lower  end  of  the  upper  section  and  on  its  outer  end  is 
pivoted  an  iron-trussed  framework  shaped  like  a  walking  beam.  A 
chain  or  wire  cable  passes  from  the  upper  end  of  this  frame  to  a  drum 
on  the  hull.  By  the  winding  up  of  this  chain  or  cable,  the  top  of  the 
frame  may  be  pulled  back.  To  the  lower  end  of  the  frame  is  fastened 


Dipper  and  Dipper-arm  of  Walking  Dredge. 
Figure  73. 

the  dipper  which  is  shaped  like  the  pan  of  a  slip  scraper.  A  chain 
or  cable  is  also  fastened  to  the  frame  at  the  back  of  the  scoop.  This 
line  passes  over  pulleys  in  the  outer  ends  of  the  booms  and  then  to  a 
drum  on  the  hull.  By  the  winding  up  of  this  line  the  scoop  is  pulled 
back  and  tilted  to  a  vertical  position.  Fig.  74  will  clearly  show  the 
details  of  the  boom  and  scoop.  To  excavate,  the  lower  section  of  the 
boom  is  lowered  until  the  tip  of  the  scoop  is  at  the  required  level; 
the  line  attached  to  the  upper  end  of  the  walking  beam  is  then  wound 
up  and  the  scoop  is  thus  forced  forward  into  the  earth.  After  the 
scoop  is  filled  the  lower  section  of  the  boom  is  raised  and  at  the 


WALKING  DREDGES  161 

same  time  swung  to  one  side  until  the  scoop  is  over  the  spoil  bank, 
where  the  upper  line  is  released  and  the  lower  line  is  pulled  in  until 
the  scoop  is  drawn  back  to  the  boom  and  the  contents  of  the  scoop 
are  dumped. 

The  machine  can  move  ahead,  across  country  at  the  rate  of  one 
mile  in  about  10  hours.  It  can  make  a  quarter  turn  in  about  50  ft. 
In  very  soft  swampy  land  the  machine  can  be  operated  by  placing  a 
large  pontoon  under  the  hull  to  float  the  machine  and  support  the 
larger  part  of  its  weight.  It  may  be  operated  as  a  rear  or  head-on  ex- 
cavator. In  the  first  case,  the  machine  starts  at  the  outlet  and 
backs  up  away  from  the  excavation  like  a  drag-line  excavator,  while 
in  the  latter  case,  the  machine  starts  at  the  upper  end  of  the  ditch 
and  straddles  it  as  it  excavates. 

70.  Operation  of  Dredge. — In  the  Spring  of  1907,  a  walking  dredge 
operated  in  the  Red  River  Valley  near  Stephens,  Minnesota.  The 
boom  was  40  ft.  long  and  supported  a  i  J-yd.  scoop.  Power  was  fur- 
nished by  a  5o-h.p.  gasoline  engine.  The  machine  was  operated  in 
two  shifts  of  1 1  hours  each,  and  each  shift  consisted  of  an  operator,  a 
craneman  and  a  shoveler.  One  foreman  had  general  charge  of  the 
work  and  a  team  and  driver  did  the  hauling.  An  electric  motor  fur- 
nished current  for  the  night  shift. 

The  ditch  excavated  had  a  bottom  width  of  6  ft.,  an  average  depth 
of  5  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  ij  to  i.  The  soil  excavated  was  a  heavy 
sandy  loam  underlaid  with  yellow  clay.  The  average  daily  progress 
made  was  400  ft.  per  shift,  or  2,000  cu.  yd.  per  22-hour  working  day. 
The  average  amount  of  fuel  used  was  75  gal.  of  gasoline.  The  ditch 
was  excavated  by  the  head-on  method  of  moving  down-stream  and 
straddling. 

yoa.  Use  in  Minnesota. — On  a  ditch  in  Minnesota,  with  a  g-ft. 
bottom  width,  an  average  depth  of  9  ft.  and  i  to  i  slopes,  where  the 
soil  was  very  soft  loam  and  peat,  the  contractor  reported  an  average 
excavation  of  3,000  cu.  yd.  for  two  shifts  of  n  hours  each.  A  record 
was  made  of  3,000  cu.  yd.  during  one  n-hour  shift. 

7ob.  Use  in  Nebraska. — A  walking  dredge  has  recently  (1911)  been 
used  with  great  efficiency  in  the  excavation  of  a  small  ditch  in  eastern 
Nebraska.  The  dredge  was  of  the  usual  type  and  equipped  with  a 
i  J  cu.  yd.  dipper  and  power  furnished  by  a  4o-h.p.  gasoline  engine. 
The  material  excavated  was  a  surface  soil  of  gumbo,  underlaid  with 
soft  yellow  clay.  The  ditch  had  a  bottom  width  of  from  6  to  8  ft.  a 
depth  varying  from  6  to  9  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  ij  to  i.  The  average 
excavation  was  50,000  cu.  yd.  per  month. 
11 


162  DR Y-LA  ND  EXCA  VA  TORS 

A  new  type  of  walking  dredge  has  recently  (1911)  been  devised  for 
use  in  the  excavation  of  a  small  ditch  in  western  Iowa. l 

A  drag-line  excavator  is  mounted  on  its  turntable,  which  is  sup- 
ported by  a  platform  composed  of  steel  I-beams.  This  lower  platform 
has  a  length  equal  to  twice  the  width  of  the  turntable  platform  and  the 
two  are  arranged  so  that  the  upper  platform  will  roll  upon  the  lower. 
The  whole  structure  is  supported  on  two  skids,  shaped  like  scows  with 
flat  bottoms.  To  move  ahead  the  machine  is  rolled  over  to  one  end 
of  the  lower  platform  where  its  weight  rests  on  one  skid.  The  other 
skid  is  then  slipped  ahead  by  cables  operated  from  the  main  engine. 
The  machine  is  rolled  to  the  other  end  of  the  platform  thus  placing 
the  weight  over  the  second  skid,  and  the  first  skid  is  pulled  ahead. 
Thus  a  zigzag  forward  motion  is  made  with  an  advance  of  about  7  ft. 
at  each  skid  shove. 

The  excavator  was  equipped  with  a  2  cu.  yd.  Page  bucket,  a  6o-ft. 
steel  boom  and  a  6o-h.p.  gasoline  engine.  An  observation  of  the 
machine  in  operation  during  a  short  period  of  time,  showed  that  nine 
buckets  of  material  were  excavated  and  the  machine  moved  ahead 
about  7  ft.  every  eight  minutes. 

The  excavator  was  operated  by  one  man  with  an  assistant  as  a 
general  laborer.  The  ordinary  track  gang  is  thus  done  away  with. 

The  experience  of  the  contractor  with  this  device  indicated  that  it 
eliminates  the  slipping  which  ordinarily  occurs  when  a  drag-line  exca- 
vator is  mounted  on  rollers  and  the  latter  become  wet. 

71.  R£sum£. — The  walking  dredge  is  rather  a  novelty  in  the  field 
of  excavating  machinery,  but  has  already  achieved  some  excellent 
records  for  economical  operation.  Every  case  of  its  use,  of  which  in- 
formation has  been  secured,  shows  a  fairly  large  output  at  a  compara- 
tively low  cost.  While  working  on  one  large  drainage  project  in  the 
Middle  West,  a  walking  dredge  made  a  better  record  than  a  dipper 
dredge  operating  on  the  same  work  and  under  similar  conditions. 

This  unique  dredge  has  the  advantage  over  the  ordinary  dry-land 
or  floating  dredge,  in  being  able  to  move  over  the  country,  from  one 
job  to  another,  by  means  of  its  own  power. 

1  From  Engineering-Contracting,  July  19,  1911. 


CHAPTER  VII 
FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

75.  Classification. — The  dredges  of  this  class,  as  the  name  signi- 
fies, move  along  a  stream  like  a  boat.     They  are  classified  as  to  the 
methods  used  in  excavating  the  material,  as  follows:  A,  Dipper 
dredges;  B,  ladder  dredges;  and  C,  hydraulic  dredges. 

• 

A.  DIPPER  DREDGES 

76.  General  Description.— The   type  of  dredge   which  is  best 
known  and  commonly  used  for  the  excavation  of  drainage  ditches 
is  the  floating-dipper  dredge.     The  principal  parts  of  a  dipper  dredge 
are  the  hull  or  boat,  the  power  equipment,  the  hoisting  engines, 
the  swinging  engines,  A-frame,  spuds,  boom  and   dipper.     All  of 
these  parts  are  used  in  some  form  in  every  dredge.     Each  manu- 
facturer uses  the  same  principles  of  operation,  but  varies  the  details 
of  construction  to  suit  his  ideas  and  generally  claims  therefor  certain 
points  of  superiority.     Fig.  75  shows  the  principal  parts  of  a  float- 
ing-dipper dredge  with  vertical  spuds  and  Fig.  76  those  of  a  dredge 
with  bank  spuds.     It  is  the  general  custom  to  set  up  the  machinery 
of  each  dredge  complete  on  the  testing  floor  of  a  factory  and  to  give 
it  a  thorough  test  before  it  is  shipped  to  the  purchaser.     This  test 
is  of  value  in  so  far  as  it  assembles  all  of  the  parts  and  proves  their 
ability  to  work  in  coordination  up  to  certain  standard  requirements. 
However,  as  such  a  test  is  conducted  under  the  most  favorable  con- 
ditions, with  good  fuel,  pure  water,  stable  foundations,  light  and 
uniformly  applied  loads,  it  does  not  show  how  the  machinery  will 
stand  up  under  the  actual  conditions  of  low-grade   fuel,  impure 
water,  unstable  foundations,   and  vibratory  and  repeated  loads. 
The  only  satisfactory  method  to  become  acquainted  with  the  weak 
as  well  as  the  strong  points  of  any  piece  of  machinery  is  to  give  it  a 
severe  test  or  series  of  tests  under  actual  working  conditions. 

Hull 

The  hull  or  boat  is  generally  built  of  wood  and  of  such  dimensions 
as  the  size  of  the  machinery,  length  of  boom,  size  of  dipper,  and  the 

163 


164 


F WAT  ING  EXCAVATORS 


DIPPER  DREDGES 


165 


166  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

width  of  the  ditch  may  require.  If  practicable  the  width  of  the 
dredge  should  be  nearly  the  width  of  the  ditch  so  that  the  stability 
of  the  whole  dredge  may  be  enhanced  by  the  use  of  bank  spuds. 
In  the  construction  of  ditches,  the  top  width  of  which  exceeds  60 
ft.,  it  is  not  practicable  to  use  bank  spuds.  The  width  of  the  hull 
depends  solely  on  the  size  of  the  machinery  to  be  used,  the  length 
of  the  boom,  and  the  size  of  the  dipper.  The  width  of  the  hull  of  a 
dredge  using  bank  spuds  is  generally  made  less  than  that  of  a  machine 
using  vertical  spuds.  It  is  evident  that  the  tendency  of  the  hull 
of  a  dredge  to  tip  sideways,  as  the  boom  is  swung  to  one  side,  will 
depend  on  the  distance  that  the  dipper  is  from  the  center  of  the  hull 
or  upon  the  length  of  the  boom.  Hence,  the  width  of  the  hull 
should  bear  some  relation  to  the  length  of  the  boom.  When  bank 
spuds  are  used  the  width  of  hull  is  generally  made  about  one-half 
the  length  of  the  boom,  while  with  vertical  spuds  the  hull  width  is 
generally  made  about  five-eights  of  the  length  of  the  boom.  See 
tables  XIX  and  XX  on  pages  1 68  to  171.  The  length  of  the  hull 
must  be  sufficient  to  provide  suitable  space  for  the  boiler,  the  ma- 
chinery, "  A  "-frame  and  boom,  but  principally  it  must  provide 
sufficient  stability  to  balance  the  weight  of  the  boom  and  dipper  in 
their  various  positions.  The  depth  of  the  hull  must  be  built  to 
furnish  sufficient  displacement,  but  with  as  light  draft  as  possible  so 
as  to  float  in  shallow  water.  The  early  practice  in  dredge  building 
was  to  make  the  hull  wider  on  top  than  on  the  bottom,  thus  giving 
the  sides  a  slope  which  would  partially  conform  to  the  side  slopes  of 
the  ditch.  However,  this  involves  extra  labor  in  construction  with 
no  material  benefit,  and  it  is  now  the  universal  practice  to  build 
hulls  with  vertical  sides.  The  dimensions  of  the  hulls  of  various-sized 
dredges  are  given  in  Tables  XIX  and  XX  on  pages  168  to  171. 
These  tables  were  compiled  by  the  Marion  Steam  Shovel  Co.,  of 
Marion,  Ohio. 

The  hull  is  composed  of  a  framework  of  heavy  timbers,  which 
should  be  of  continuous  length  as  far  as  is  practicable.  The  writer 
has  seen  timbers  14  in.  square  and  having  a  length  of  87  ft.,  used 
for  the  longitudinal  bracing  of  a  hull,  which  had  an  overall  length 
of  no  ft.  Transverse  timbers  should  always  be  the  full  width  of 
the  hull.  In  the  construction  referred  to  above,  transverse  sills 
and  caps  were  used  and  were  30  in.  square  with  a  length  of  40  ft. 
The  framework  is  covered  on  the  sides,  top  and  bottom  with  3-in. 
plank.  In  the  case  of  a  large  hull  with  very  heavy  machinery,  the 
sides  and  ends  may  be  made  of  heavy  timbers,  placed  one  on  another. 


DIPPER  DREDGES  167 

All  timbers  should  be  well  bolted  together;  although  in  small  hulls 
of  light  construction,  the  planking  is  generally  spiked  to  the  frame- 
work. Yellow  pine  and  fir  are  generally  used  and  as  both  woods 
are  about  equal  in  strength,  the  preference  is  given  to  the  cheaper. 
Great  care  should  be  taken  in  framing  and  splicing  timbers,  so  as 
to  secure  strong  joints,  which  should  stagger  where  practicable. 

To  much  care  cannot  be  taken  in  the  construction  of  the  hull  to 
secure  the  greatest  strength  and  rigidity  possible.  When  a  dredge 
is  in  operation,  extremely  severe  strains  of  every  kind  are  being 
applied  in  rapid  succession.  The  joints  of  the  planking  on  the 
sides,  ends  and  bottom  must  be  made  watertight.  This  is  done  by 
fitting  the  adjacent  planks  together  so  as  to  leave  a  V-shaped  joint, 
with  an  opening  of  about  f  in.  on  the  outside  surface.  Three  threads 
of  clean  oakum  should  be  driven  tightly  into  the  joints,  until  the 
surface  of  the  oakum  is  about  J  in.  below  the  outside  surface.  This 
space  should  then  be  filled  with  hot  coal-tar.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  calk  the  deck  joints,  unless  the  dredge  is  to  be  towed  through 
rough  water. 

It  is  rarely  practicable  to  move  a  dredge  from  one  job  to  another 
and  so  it  is  generally  dismantled  for  shipment  by  railroad.  If  the 
length  of  shipment  is  great,  it  is  more  economical  to  build  a  new  hull, 
rather  than  to  move  the  old  one.  Recently,  the  manufacturers 
of  a  steel  dredge  have  constructed  a  steel  hull,  which  is  made  in 
sections,  which  can  be  readily  bolted  together. 

On  deep-water  dredges  the  boiler,  coal  bunkers  and  heavier 
machinery  are  placed  on  the  bottom  of  the  hull  to  secure  maximum 
stability.  On  ditching  dredges,  however,  it  is  the  custom  to  place 
the  boiler,  coal  bunkers,  water  tank,  condenser,  etc.,  on  the  rear 
end  of  the  deck,  which  is  from  i  to  2  ft.  lower  than  the  main  deck. 
See  Figs.  74  and  75. 

BOILER 

The  use  of  a  boiler  on  a  floating- dipper  dredge  is  very  similar  to 
that  on  a  drag-line  excavator  and  the  reader  is  referred  to  the 
description  on  pages  107  to  109  of  boilers  for  dry-land  excavators. 

It  would  be  well  to  emphasize  a  few  important  points  and  recom- 
mendations, which  have  been  previously  mentioned. 

The  locomotive  fire-box  type  has  been  generally  found  to  be  the 
most  satisfactory  to  meet  the  exacting  conditions  of  dredge  work. 
It  is  easily  adaptable  to  the  consumption  of  various  grades  and 
kinds  of  fuel  and  can  be  easily  cleaned.  The  Scotch-marine  type  of 


168 


FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 


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170 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


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172 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


boiler  is  usually  considered  to  be  the  more  economical  of  fuel,  the  more 
durable  and  the  safer  of  these  two  types,  which  are  used  on  dredges. 
However,  the  writer  has  often  seen  the  two  types  used  on  two 
dredges  on  the  same  job,  and  the  locomotive  type  always  gave  the 
more  efficient  and  economical  service.  See  Fig.  76. 

It  is  generally  necessary  to  use  a  water  purifying  system  on  a 
dredge,  because  the  available  water  supply  is  either  surface  water 
from  swamp  or  marshes  or  from  shallow  wells.  This  water  is 
usually  highly  impregnated  with  magnesia,  lime,  or  the  sodium  salts. 


Boiler  and  Piping  System  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  76. 

These  are  all  serious  scale-forming  materials  and  they  should  be 
removed  from  the  water  before  it  is  fed  into  the  boiler.  A  feed- 
water  heater  and  purifier  is  the  best  means  of  accomplishing  this 
result. 

The  writer  has  recently  seen  two  boilers  used  on  one  dredge. 
These  were  placed  side  by  side  and  connected  so  that  the  two  could 
be  used  together  or  singly.  The  advantages  of  such  a  duplicate 
equipment  are  facility  for  cleaning  without  stopping  the  operation 
of  the  dredge  and  the  use  of  extra  power  when  needed  for  heavy  or 
frozen-soil  excavation.  This  novel  installation  means  a  greater 


DIPPER  DREDGES  173 

initial  cost,  but  cases  could  be  cited  where  it  would  have  saved  the 
extra  expense  several  times  over. 

ENGINES 

The  main  engine  for  a  dipper  dredge  is  very  similar  to  that  used 
on  a  drag-line  excavator.  It  should  be  some  standard  type  of  hori- 
zontal, double-cylinder,  friction-drum  engine,  which  must  be  self- 
contained  on  a  cast-iron  or  structural  steel  bed  plate.  There  must 
be  two  drums,  one  for  the  hoisting  cable  and  one  for  the  backing 
cable.  These  drums  are  generally  grooved  to  hold  the  first  layer 
of  cable  in  place,  and  are  controlled  by  outside  friction  bands,  which 
are  operated  by  steam-actuated  rams  attached  to  the  spokes  of  the 
large  gear  wheel.  Provision  should  be  made  in  these  rams  for  the 
automatic  compensation  of  contraction  and  expansion  in  the  wheel. 
The  backing  drum  should  be  provided  with  a  reducing  valve  which 
automatically  regulates  the .  steam  pressure  to  the  load  applied. 
This  eliminates  the  jerking  and  snapping  of  the  backing  cable. 

The  size  and  power  of  .engine  required  depends  upon  the  size  of  the 
bucket  and  the  length  of  the  boom.  The  power  of  an  engine  is  deter- 
mined by  the  dimensions  of  its  cylinders.  These  required  by  the  vari- 
ous size  dredges  are  shown  in  Tables  XIX  and  XX,  pages  1 68  to  171. 
As  the  engine  on  a  dredge  is  run  intermittently  and  at  low  speed 
it  is  preferable  to  have  an  engine  cylinder  of  small  diameter  and 
long  stroke.  Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  put  upon  the  necessity 
of  having  all  the  parts  of  the  engine  very  strongly  built.  The  con- 
tinual application  and  removal  of  the  load  brings  vibratory  strains 
upon  the  machinery,  which,  unless  built  of  the  very  best  material 
and  of  ample  strength,  will  be  subject  to  frequent  breaks.  The 
latter  mean  shutting  down  dredging  operations  and  the  expenditure 
of  time  and  expense  in  repairs.  A  frequent  cause  of  trouble  and 
delay  in  the  operation  of  a  dredge  engine  is  the  binding  of  the  friction 
clutches.  This  is  caused  by  the  excessive  heating  of  the  friction 
surfaces,  which  are  usually  composed  of  hard-wood  blocks  or  a  vul- 
canized fiber.  Experience  has  shown  that  little  trouble  is  derived 
from  this  source  if  the  diameter  of  the  friction  section  is  made  from 
two  and  one-half  to  three  times  that  of  the  main  barrel  of  the  drum. 
The  main  engine  of  a  well-known  make  of  floating-dipper  dredge  is 
shown  in  Fig.  77. 

The  swinging  engines  of  dredges  which  have  a  dipper  capacity  greater 
than  i  cu.  yd.  are  generally  independent  of  the  main  engine.  For  the 


174 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


\  cu.  yd.,  the  J  cu.  yd.,  and  i  cu.  yd.  sizes  of  dredge  the  swinging 
mechanism  consists  of  two  independent  swinging  drums,  which  are 
attached  to  a  long  shaft,  geared  to  the  main  engine.  This  method  of 
operation  is  shown  in  Fig.  79.  A  chain  or  wire  rope  extends  from 
one  drum  around  the  turntable  or  swinging  circle  to  the  other  drum. 
After  the  dipper  is  raised  out  of  the  channel  to  the  proper  point,  the 
hoisting  drum  is  shut  down  and  power  applied  to  revolve  the  swinging 
drum  shaft.  One  drum  is  set  by  the  friction  and  winds  up  the  chain 


Hoisting  Engine  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  77. 

or  cable,  which  in  turn  unwinds  from  the  other  or  loose  drum.  The 
advantages  of  this  method  are  the  cheapness  of  construction  and  econ- 
omy of  space  in  using  one  engine.  The  disadvantages  are  the  necess- 
ity of  using  the  hoisting  engine  in  order  to  operate  the  swinging  device, 
the  difficulty  of  keeping  the  swinging  cable  or  chain  taut  and  the  waste 
of  power. 

In  nearly  all  makes  of  dredges  over  i  cu.  yd.  capacity  a  separate 
swinging  engine  is  used.  The  type  of  engine  used  is  one  which  is 
reversible  and'  operated  by  a  balanced  throttle  valve.  The  engine  is 
compound  geared  to  a  long  shaft,  having  two  drums  placed  at  such 
distance  apart  so  as  to  give  a  direct  pull  to  the  swinging  circle  on 


DIPPER  DREDGES 


175 


either  side.  A  chain  or  steel  cable  extends  from  the  bottom  side  of 
one  drum  to  the  swinging  circle  or  turntable  and  thence  to  the  top 
side  of  the  other  drum.  Where  it  is  desired  to  swing  the  boom,  the 


Combined  Hoisting  and  Swinging  Engine  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  78. 


Swinging  Engine  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  79. 

swinging  engine  is  operated  and  the  cable  or  chain  winds  up  on  one 
drum  as  fast  as  it  unwinds  on  the  other.  A  typical  swinging  engine 
is  shown  in  Fig.  79. 


176 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


The  swinging  circle  or  turntable  may  be  either  fixed  or  movable 
and  may  be  placed  either  just  above  or  several  feet  above  the  deck. 

For  dredges  of  dipper  capacity  up  to  2  cu.  yd.  most  manufacturers 
use  a  solid  deck  swinging  circle.  This  consists  of  drum-shaped  frame- 
work of  steel  plates  and  a  side  web  of  channels.  In  the  center  of  the 
circle  is  a  large  cast  ring,  which  rests  and  revolves  upon  the  main 
base  casting,  which  is  fastened  to  the  front  edge  of  the  deck.  The 
lower  end  of  the  boom  is  pivoted  on  this  cast  ring  and  revolves  with 
the  swinging  circle.  Several  loop  rods  are  generally  used  to  connect 


Floating  Dipper  Dredge  Excavating  Drainage  Ditch. 
Figure  80. 

the  outer  rim  of  the  circle  at  the  ends  of  its  transverse  diameter  with 
the  boom  at  points  on  either  side  and  about  one-fourth  of  its  length. 
The  diameter  of  the  swinging  circle  should  be  sufficient  to  give  a  direct 
pull  from  the  drums  of  the  swinging  engine  and  also  not  less  than 
one-fifth  of  the  horizontal  reach  of  the  boom.  Since  the  rim  of  the 
swinging  circle,  where  the  pull  from  the  cable  is  applied,  is  several 
feet  lower  than  the  points  on  the  boom  where  the  pull  is  transferred 
from  the  rim  of  the  circle  to  the  boom  by  the  rods  or  braces,  there  re- 
sults a  tilting  action.  This  causes  a  loss  of  power  and  a  warping  of 
the  swinging  circle.  To  overcome  this  eccentricity  in  the  transference 
of  the  pull,  the  swinging  circle  is  often  placed  on  the  upper  end  of  a 
mast,  which  rests  on  the  lower  pivot  casting  and  revolves  the  circle 


DIPPER  DREDGES  111 

in  a  plane  8  or  10  ft.  above  the  deck.  The  circle,  in  this  case,  is  braced 
to  the  boom  in  the  plane  of  the  rim  and  thus  a  direct  pull  is  obtained. 
This  method  is  advantageous  when  the  boom  is  longer  than  60  ft. 
The  objections  to  this  method  are  first,  it  places  considerable  weight 
above  the  deck  and  decreases  the  stability  of  the  dredge;  second,  it 
requires  a  special  arrangement  of  sheaves  to  lead  the  swinging  cable 
from  the  drums  to  the  circle  and  a  resulting  loss  of  power  and  in- 
creased wear  on  the  cable. 

Where  the  dipper  is  of  large  capacity  and  the  boom  of  great  length 
(over  70  ft.),  a  stationary  turntable  is  generally  used.  The  turntable 
is  placed  just  above  the  deck  or  several  feet  above,  as  has  been  ex- 
plained for  the  swinging  circle.  The  stationary  circle  consists  of  a 
circular  rim  and  several  spokes,  which  are  of  structural  steel  and 
fastened  to  the  central  cast  pivot  and  the  deck  of  the  hull.  The 
swinging  chain  or  cable  leads  from  drums  to  the  turntable  where  it 
passes  over  small  sheaves  placed  in  the  rim.  In  this  case,  since  the 
circle  is  fixed  in  position,  its  diameter  is  not  dependent  on  the  reach 
of  the  boom,  but  should  be  large  enough  so  that  the  power  may  be 
applied  at  a  distance  from  the  foot  of  the  boom  to  give  a  direct  and 
uniform  pull.  The  boom  is  connected  to  the  axis  of  rotation  by  a 
large  timber  fastened  to  a  swinging  chain  or  cable  at  the  point 
where  they  cross.  Then  the  movement  of  the  chain  or  cable  drives 
the  boom,  which  is  pivoted  to  its  lower  end. 

A-FRAME 

The  A-frame  is  a  tower  or  frame  composed  of  large  timbers  securely 
seated  on  the  top  of  the  hull  at  each  side  near  the  front  and  joined  to- 
gether at  the  top  with  a  cast-steel  head  and  yoke.  This  frame  is 
generally  composed  of  two  main  legs  in  a  nearly  vertical  plane,  in- 
clined toward  the  front  at  a  slope  of  about  i  in  6,  and  stayed  by  guy 
rods  extending  from  the  head  block  of  the  frame  to  the  sides  of  the 
hull  near  the  rear  end.  Some  dredge  builders  use  two  rear  legs  or 
timbers  as  braces  and  in  this  case  the  two  main  legs  are  set  in  a  vertical 
plane.  It  is  necessary  that  the  A-frame  be  strongly  braced  and  held 
rigidly  in  position  as  the  pull  from  the  outer  and  loaded  end  of  the 
boom  is  largely  borne  by  the  top  of  the  A-frame.  A  break  or  failure 
of  any  part  of  this  frame  would  probably  result  in  serious  loss  of  life 
and  damage  to  the  dredge.  The  height  of  the  A-frame  is  largely 
governed  by  the  maximum  required  elevation  of  the  end  of  the 
boom  which  will  be  determined  by  the  depth  of  excavation  and 
12 


178 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


distance  away  from  the  ditch  to  the  place  where  the  excavated 
material  must  be  deposited.  The  top  of  the  head  block  is  a  large 
pin  on  which  the  yoke  revolves.  The  yoke  is  a  short-trussed  beam 
to  the  ends  of  which  are  attached  the  cables  which  support  the  outer 
end  of  the  beam.  See  Fig.  81  for  typical  A-frame  details. 


A-frame  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  81. 


SPUDS 

To  hold  the  hull  horizontal  and  to  prevent  its  being  tipped  about 
while  the  dredge  is  in  operation,  three  leg  braces  or  spuds  are  provided. 
One  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  rear  end  of  the  hull  and  one  on  each 
side  near  the  front.  When  the  ditch  is  narrow  and  the  dredge  has  a 
hull  nearly  the  width  of  the  ditch,  bank  spuds  are  used.  As  shown  in 
Fig.  87,  these  inclined  bank  spuds  are  pivoted  to  the  head  block  of  the 
A-frame  and  the  lower  ends  are  pivoted  to  large  platforms  which 
transmit  the  pressure  to  the  soil.  Some  manufacturers  use  a  rect- 
angular spud  frame,  which  is  placed  just  behind  the  A-frame.  At  the 
upper  corners  of  the  spud  frame  are  bolted  plates  supporting  pinions 
or  dogs,  which  engage  the  teeth  of  racks  fastened  to  the  lower  sides  of 
the  spuds.  This  simple  mechanism  serves  to  lock  the  spuds  in  place. 
Short  braces  connect  the  lower  ends  of  the  spuds  with  the  sides  of  the 


DIPPER  DREDGES 


179 


hull  at  the  feet  of  the  A-frame.  Vertical  side  spuds  are  used  in  a 
wide  ditch  and  their  lower  ends  bear  directly  on  the  bottom  of  she 
ditch.  The  rear  spud  is  always  vertical  and  is  used  to  prevent  the 
dredge  from  swinging  about  during  its  operation.  Each  spud  is  a 
large  solid  timber  which  moves  inside  of  an  iron  or  timber  box  or 
guide  frame.  This  is  the  new  form  of  telescopic  spud.  Teeth  on  a 
rack  fastened  to  the  lower  side  of  the  spud  engage  a  pinion  on  the 
lower  side  at  the  end  of  the  box  section. 


Spud  Engine  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  82. 


The  spuds  are  raised  and  lowered  by  means  of  steel- wire  ropes  pass- 
ing over  sheaves  and  controlled  by  special  drums.  These  drums  are 
mounted  on  a  separate  bed  plate  and  their  shaft  is  connected  to  the 
end  of  the  backing  drum  shaft  by  a  jaw  clutch,  which  is  disengaged 
when  the  spuds  are  not  to  be  operated.  Fig.  84  shows  a  typical 
spud  hoist.  In  large  dredges,  where  vertical  spuds  are  used,  they 
are  often  operated  by  a  steam  cylinder  fastened  to  the  front  of 
each  spud  and  controlling  a  brake  or  clamp,  which  encircles  the  spud 
and  is  attached  to  the  piston  of  the  cylinder.  This  method  is  cumber- 
some, troublesome  to  operate,  and  uneconomical  of  power.  This  has 
been  replaced  by  the  installation  of  a  separate  engine  to  operate  each 


180 


FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 


Spud  Hoisting  Mechanism  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  83. 


Spud  Hoist  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  84. 


DIPPER  DREDGES  181 

of  the  front  spuds.  This  allows  each  spud  to  be  operated  independ- 
ently and  without  using  the  main  engine.  The  details  of  such  a 
spud  engine  are  shown  in  Figs.  82  and  83. 

Wherever  it  is  possible  it  is  best  to  use  the  inclined  bank  spuds  of 
the  telescopic  type.  These  braces  take  the  load  from  the  top  of  the 
A-frame  to  the  banks  along  the  sides  of  the  ditch  and  thus  remove 
much  strain  from  the  hull  of  the  dredge.  As  the  stability  of  the  dredge 
when  in  operation  depends  to  a  great  extent  upon  the  strength  and 
proper  working  of  the  spuds,  it  is  necessary  that  they  be  made  amply 
large  and  provided  with  a  strong  and  reliable  locking  device.  The 
spuds  must  be  raised  and  lowered  each  time  the  dredge  makes  a  move, 
hence,  it  is  evident  that  the  ease  and  rapidity  of  their  operation  will 
greatly  affect  the  progress  of  the  work. 

BOOM 

The  boom  or  crane  is  a  fish-bellied  shaped  beam,  usually  constructed 
of  wood.  It  is  made  in  two  equal  parts  or  sections  and  so  spaced 
apart  that  the  dipper  handle  may  work  between  them.  When  the 
length  of  the  boom  is  over  70  ft.,  it  is  often  made  of  trussed  timbers 
to  secure  lightness  with  strength.  See  Fig.  85.  For  lengths  up  to 
70  ft.,  however,  the  webs  of  the  booms  are  generally  made  solid.  See 
Fig.  80.  When  the  capacity  of  the  dipper  is  over  2j  cu.  yd., 
dredge  builders  often  use  a  steel-trussed  beam,  similar  in  construction 
to  those  used  on  the  drag-line  excavators.  The  length  of  the  boom 
depends  on  the  capacity  of  the  dredge,  the  cross-section  of  the  ditch 
to  be  excavated,  and  distance  from  the  center  of  the  ditch  to  the  place 
where  the  excavated  material  must  be  deposited.  The  width  of  the 
boom  at  the  ends  need  only  be  enough  to  provide  sufficient  bearing 
for  the  end  castings.  The  width  at  the  center  should  be  from  one- 
tenth  to  one-twelfth  of  the  length  of  the  boom.  As  has  been  stated 
under  "Hull,"  the  length  of  boom  should  bear  a  definite  relation  to 
the  width  of  the  hull.  When  vertical  spuds  are  used  the  length  of 
boom  should  be  about  one  and  one-half  times  the  width  of  the  hull, 
while  with  the  use  of  bank  spuds,  the  length  may  be  increased  to 
twice  the  width  of  the  hull.  The  lower  end  of  the  boom  is  pivoted* 
to  the  swinging  circle  or  upper  section  of  the  cast  pivot.  The  outer 
end  is  connected  to  the  yoke  at  the  top  of  the  A-frame  by  means  of 
adjustable  wire  cables.  At  the  outer  end  of  the  boom  is  the  sheave 
over  which  the  hoisting  cable  passes  on  its  way  from  the  sheave  at- 
tached to  the  bail  of  the  dipper  to  the  fair  lead  sheaves  at  the  lower 
end  of  the  boom  and  thence  to  the  drum  of  the  main  engine.  On  top 


182 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


of  the  boom  and  a  little  below  the  center  is  placed  the  brake  shaft, 
upon  which  the  dipper  handle  moves.  This  mechanism  consists  of  two 
large  wheels  whose  motion  is  controlled  by  friction  brakes.  These 
wheels  connect  a  pinion  over  whose  periphery  moves  a  toothed  rack 
fastened  to  the  lower  side  of  the  dipper  handle.  When  the  friction 
bands  are  released  the  weight  of  the  dipper  and  its  handle  allows  the 
latter  to  move  downward  as  fast  as  the  hoisting  cable  is  paid  out. 
When  the  dipper  is  filled  and  has  been  raised  to  a  suitable  position 
for  swinging  the  boom,  the  application  of  the  friction  brakes  holds  the 
dipper  handle  in  place  while  the  boom  is  being  swung  to  one  side. 
For  ease  of  operation  the  diameter  of  the  brake  wheels  should  be  about 
one-twentieth  of  the  length  of  the  boom. 

DIPPER 

The  dipper  handle  works  in  conjunction  with  the  boom  and  carries 
the  excavator  or  dipper  at  its  lower  end.     Usually  it  is  a  large  square 


Boom  and  Dipper  Handle  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  85. 

timber  whose  corners  are  reinforced  with  angle  irons.  See  Figs.  80, 
85  and  87.  The  lower  side  is  provided  with  a  cog  rack,  which  moves 
over  the  pinions,  mounted  on  the  top  of  the  boom.  The  cross-section 


DIPPER  DREDGES  183 

of  the  handle  depends  on  the  size  of  the  dipper  and  the  resulting 
maximum  load  to  be  carried.  Its  length  should  be  about  two-thirds 
that  of  the  boom.  It  should  be  made  amply  large  to  resist  the  bending 
caused  by  the  prying  action  of  the  dipper  in  loosening  hard  or  tough 
material. 


DIPPER  HANDLE 

The  dipper  or  bucket  is  of  the  same  type  as  that  used  on  steam 
shovels.  A  reference  to  Fig.  86  will  clearly  show  the  details  of  con- 
struction. The  sides  are  made  of  heavy  steel  plates  which  are  strongly 
reinforced  by  steel  bars  at  the  top  and  bottom.  For  ordinary  material 
the  cutting  edge  is  made  of  a  single  bent  plate,  which  can  be  easily 
replaced  when  worn  out.  When  compact  and  hard  soils  are  to  be  ex- 
cavated, large  steel  teeth  are  used  to  reinforce  the  cutting  edge.  The 
bottom  is  a  heavy  steel  plate,  which  is  hinged  to  the  back  of  the  dipper 


Dipper  of  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  86. 

and  is  held  in  place  by  a  spring  latch  riveted  to  the  front  of  the  dipper. 
The  latch  is  opened  by  the  pulling  of  a  cable  or  chain,  which  extends 
back  along  the  boom  to  the  craneman.  As  soon  as  the  dipper  is 
lowered  the  weight  of  the  door  causes  it  to  automatically  close  and 
latch.  The  size  or  capacity  of  the  dipper  varies  from  i  to  5 
cu.  yd.,  and  this  element  is  governed  by  the  size  of  the  dredge.  This 
is  dependent  on  the  size  of  the  ditch  to  be  excavated,  the  amount  and 
character  of  the  material,  and  the  amount  of  money  available  for  the 


184  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

construction  of  the  dredge.  Generally,  the  dredge  contractor  builds 
his  hull,  when  practicable  nearly  as  wide  as  the  ditch  so  as  to  use  bank 
spuds,  or  in  the  case  of  wide  ditches  or  canals  (over  50  ft.  wide  on  top), 
he  makes  the  boat  wide  enough  to  excavate  the  canal  in  two  cuttings. 
He  then  uses  the  largest  size  dipper  which  can  be  used  with  the  size 
and  strength  of  hull.  The  larger  the  dipper  used,  the  larger  the 
machinery  and  boiler  required  to  operate  the  dredge,  but  it  should  be 
noted  that  six  men  can  operate  a  35-01.  yd.  dredge  as  well  as  a  if-cu. 
yd.  machine.  The  principal  difference  in  the  cost  of  operation  would 
be  in  the  amount  of  fuel  used. 

GENERAL  DETAILS 

The  general  principles  of  design  and  construction  which  apply  to 
any  piece  of  machinery  are  especially  noteworthy  in  the  case  of  a  float- 
ing dipper  dredge.  Care  must  be  taken  to  have  all  parts  rightly 
proportioned  and  coordinated.  Always  use  the  simplest  details  and 
make  them  amply  strong.  The  output,  and  therefore  the  profitable- 
ness of  a  dredge,  is  proportional  to  the  time  that  the  dipper  is  working 
and  the  forge  is  not  in  use.  Breakdowns  and  repairs  are  not  only 
troublesome  and  expensive  in  themselves,  but  they  mean  loss  of  work- 
ing time  and  income. 

All  gears,  pinions,  racks,  important  castings  and  cutting  edges 
should  be  made  of  cast  steel.  All  straps,  bands,  rods,  and  bolts  should 
be  made  of  first  grade  wrought  iron,  such  as  Norway  iron. 

All  solid  timbers,  such  as  are  used  for  the  spuds,  A-frame,  and  dipper 
handle,  should  be  of  heart  wood,  straight  grained,  free  from  shakes, 
twists,  decay,  large  pitch  pockets,  or  other  defects.  Long-leaf  yellow 
pjne,  Douglas  fir,  or  white  oak  should  be  used. 

Wire  rope  or  cable  made  of  plow  steel  wire  is  generally  used  in 
preference  to  chain.  The  wire  rope  is  cheaper,  lighter,  takes  up  less 
room  on  the  drums  and  sheaves  and  gives  warning  of  failure  by  the 
preliminary  breaking  of  a  few  strands.  The  chain,  however,  will 
break  a  link  and  pull  apart  suddenly  and  often  cause  a  bad  accident. 
Some  dredge  builders  still  use  a  chain  for  operating  the  swinging 
circle  or  turntable.  The  friction  of  a  wire  rope  is  less  and  more  uni- 
form than  that  of  a  chain. 

The  sheaves  should  be  of  as  large  diameter  as  possible,  usually  not 
less  than  30  times  the  diameter  of  wire  cable  used  on  it.  They  should 
be  made  of  an  excellent  grade  of  gray  cast  iron  and  be  provided  with 
phosphor-bronze  bushings.  The  pins  must  be  of  the  highest  grade  of 


DIPPER  DREDGES  185 

medium  steel  and  turned  to  fit  accurately  bored  holes  in  the  sheaves. 
The  groove  in  the  rim  of  the  sheave  should  have  a  depth  not  less  than 
three  times  the  diameter  of  the  wire  rope.  Where  the  cable  is  subject 
to  jumping  off  the  sheave,  a  suitable  guard  or  housing  should  be 
provided. 

As  a  chain  is  "as  strong  as  its  weakest  link,"  so  a  dredge  is  as  strong 
as  its  weakest  part.  Too  much  care  cannot  be  taken  in  the  building  of 
a  dredge  to  make  every  part  amply  strong,  stronger  than  is  estimated 
or  required.  It  is  an  unwise  and  short-sighted  policy  to  spare  initial 
expense  in  the  construction  of  any  form  of  excavator.  When  economy 
is  thus  early  practised,  vexations  and  costly  breaks  and  delays  are 
almost  sure  to  follow.  The  writer  has  seen  cases  of  this  kind  when  a 
fundamental  weakness  in  a  dredge  caused  break  after  break,  until  the 
men  working  on  the  machine  actually  came  to  believe  that  it  was 
"hoodood"  and  refused  to  continue  their  work. 

In  order  to  avoid  long  delays  due  to  breaks  and  repairs,  duplicate 
parts  of  all  the  important  sections  of  the  machinery  should  be  kept 
always  on  the  dredge.  Such  parts  would  include  cables,  sheaves, 
bolts,  pins,  shafts,  etc. 

76a.  Use  in  Colorado. — A  standard  make  of  floating  dipper  dredge 
was  used  during  the  year  1911  in  the  cleaning  out  and  enlarging  of 
a  large  supply  canal  on  an  irrigation  project  in  eastern  Colorado. 

The  material  excavated  was  a  sandy  loam  and  an  average  of  373.5 
cu.  yd.  were  excavated  in  each  xoo-ft.  length  of  canal.  A  total  excava- 
tion of  394,387  cu.  yd.  was  made  in  a  total  canal  length  of  20  miles  and 
during  187  actual  operating  days.  The  dredge  crews  were  on  duty 
268  days.  The  dredge  was  operated  in  two  shifts  of  10  hours  each,  and 
one  hour  per  day  was  spent  in  oiling  and  cleaning  the  machinery. 

Screened  pea  coal  from  New  Mexico  was  used  as  fuel  and  water  for 
the  boiler  was  pumped  directly  from  the  canal.  The  deposition  of 
mud  and  the  formation  of  scale  resulting  from  the  use  of  this  water 
caused  considerable  boiler  trouble.  A  feed  water  heater  was  not  used, 
although  the  purification  of  the  water  before  feeding  it  to  the  boiler 
would  doutless  have  saved  time  and  expense. 

The  dredge  had  a  wooden  hull,  75  ft.  long  and  24  ft.  wide.  The 
boom  had  a  length  of  50  ft.  and  the  dipper  a  capacity  of  ij  cu.  yd. 
Marion  anchors  or  bank  spuds  were  used. 

The  cost  of  operation  for  the  year  is  as  follows: 


1 86  FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 

Labor: 

Scale  of  Wages 

i  head  engineer  or  runner,          @  $120.00  per  month. 

1  runner,  @  no.oo  per  month. 

2  cranesmen,  @  55.00  per  month. 
2  firemen,  @  45.00  per  month. 
2  deck  hands,  @  40.00  per  month, 
i  teamster,  @  40.00  per  month, 
i  cook,  @  50 .  oo  per  month. 

Total  cost  of  labor  for  operating  dredge,  $6,243 .  70 

Cost  of  labor  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0157 

Fuel: 

1,276.65  tons  of  coal  @  $3.175  per  ton,  $4,053 . 36 

Cost  of  fuel  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  o. 0103 

Repairs  and  Maintenance  of  Machinery: 

Total  cost  of  cables,  repairs  and  renewals  of 

machinery,  $3 ,894 . 6  7 

Cost  of  repairs  and  renewals  per  cubic  yard 
excavated,  0.0098 

Miscellaneous: 

Total  cost  of  miscellaneous  supplies,  oil,  waste, 

grease,  etc.,  $692.81 

Cost  of  miscellaneous  supplies  per  cubic  yard 
excavated,  0.0012 

Expense  of  Floating  Dredge: 1 

Cost  of  retaining  water  in  canal  to  keep  the 

dredge  afloat,  $369.24 

Cost  of  floating  dredge  per  cubic  yard,  0.0009 

Total  cost  of  operating  dredge  for  187  days,  $15,253.  78 

Cost  of  operation  per  day,  81.57 

Cost  of  operation  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0372 

Cost  of  dredge  and  house  boat,  16,500.00 

The  following  general  and  overhead  expenses  were  included  in 
this  work. 

1  In  cleaning  out  a  canal  it  is  often  necessary  to  maintain  a  dam  of  excavated 
material  in  front  of  the  dredge  to  provide  a  sufficient  depth  of  water  to  float  the 
dredge.  In  crossing  another  and  existing  stream,  channel  or  waterway,  a  dam 
or  dyke  must  be  constructed  on  the  down-stream  side  to  prevent  the  loss  of  water 
through  the  original  channel. 


DIPPER  DREDGES  187 

Engineering,  supervision  and  office  work,  $1,859. 10 
Team  work  in  building  up  spoil  bank  and  con- 
structing road  on  the  top  for  20  miles,  @ 
$236.08,  4,721.75 
Removing  and  replacing  10  highway  and  i  rail- 
road bridges,  837.78 
Right  of  way  and  legal  expenses,  190.42 
Interest  on  investment  (8  per  cent,  of  $16,500),  1320.00 
Depreciation  (20  per  cent,  of  $16,500),  3,300.00 


Total  amount  of  general  expenses,  $12,229.05 
Amount  of  general  expenses  per  cubic  yard 

excavated,  0.0310 

Total  cost  of  work  per  cabic  yard  excavated,  0.0682 

76b.  Use  in  Florida.— Two  floating-dipper  dredges  have  been 
used  recently  in  the  construction  of  the  large  outlet  canal  located 
near  Sebastian,  Florida.  The  work  of  the  four  drag-line  excavators 
in  the  excavation  of  this  same  canal  was  given  on  pages  124  to  125 
inclusive.  The  dredges  are  being  used  (1911-13)  to  excavate  the 
sections  of  the  main  canal  with  dense  clay  sub-soil,  and  the  larger 
lateral  ditches. 

The  larger  dredge  has  an  all  steel  hull  100  ft.  long  and  33  ft.  wide, 
a  70  ft.  boom  and  a  2\  cu.  yd.  dipper.  The  smaller  dredge  has  a 
wooden  hull  70  ft.  long  and  18  ft.  wide,  bank  spuds,  a  5o-ft.  boom 
and  a  ij  cu.  yd.  dipper. 

The  average  monthly  excavation  for  the  two  dredges  has  been 
about  100,000  cu.  yd.  The  cost  of  excavation  (not  including  over- 
head charges  and  depreciation)  has  averaged  4!  cents  per  cu.  yd. 
Partially  seasoned  pine  has  been  used  for  fuel  and  an  average  of 
two  cords  per  shift  of  10  hours,  or  103  cords  per  month  of  26  days, 
have  been  consumed. 

760.  Use  in  South  Dakota. — In  the  construction  of  the  Clay 
Creek  Ditch  in  Clay  and  Yank  ton  Counties,  South  Dakota,  during 
the  years  1908,  1909,  and  1910,  one  of  the  two  floating-dipper 
dredges  used  made  such  uniform  progress  that  an  accurate  cost 
record  was  kept  of  its  operation. 

This  dredge  had  a  wooden  hull,  87  ft  long.,  30  ft.  wide,  and  6  ft. 
deep.  The  framework  of  the  hull  was  composed  of  54  keelsons,  8 
in.Xio  in.X3o  ft.  long  and  spaced  about  3  ft.  3  in.  on  centers. 
The  side  and  end  verticals  or  posts  were  6-in.X6-in.  Douglas  fir 
timbers,  6  ft.  long  and  spaced  6  ft.  in  the  clear.  The  sides,  ends 
and  bottom  were  formed  of  3 -in.  yellow  pine  planking.  The  deck 
was  made  of  2-in.  yellow  pine  planking.  All  main  timbers  were 


188  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

strongly  bolted  together  and  the  planking  was  spiked  to  the  frame- 
work. The  joints  of  the  sides,  ends  and  bottom  were  well  calked 
with  three  strings  of  oakum,  and  then  hot  tar  was  applied  until  the 
joints  were  filled  flush  with  the  outer  surface. 

Marion  anchors  or  bank  spuds,  attached  to  the  head  block  of  the 
A-frame  were  used.  These  anchors  were  made  of  i4-in.X  i4-in.  oak 
timbers  sliding  in  steel  boxings,  whose  lower  ends  supported  heavy 


Dipper  Dredge  with  Bank  Spuds  Excavating  Drainage  Ditch. 
Figure  87. 

platforms  about  6  ft.  square.  The  A-frame  had  a  height  of  44  ft., 
and  was  built  of  two  i4-in.  X  i6-in.  timbers  of  Douglas  fir.  The  rear 
spud  was  single-oak  timber  10  in.  square.  The  boom  had  a  length 
of  66  ft.,  was  5  ft.  deep  in  the  center,  had  8-in.X8-m.  fir  flanges  and 
a  web  of  5~in.  yellow  pine.  It  was  made  in  two  equal  sections. 
The  dipper  handle  was  made  of  two  oak  timbers,  io-in.Xi4-in.  and 
having  a  length  of  38  ft.  Steam  was  furnished  by  a  6o-h.p.  boiler 
of  the  locomotive  type.  The  main  engine  was  built  by  the  Marion 
Steam  Shovel  Co.,  and  was  equipped  with  two  g-in.  X  i  i-in.  cylinders. 
The  hoisting  drum  had  a  diameter  of  30  in.  and  the  backing  drum 
1 8  in.  The  diameter  of  the  frictions  was  twice  that  of  the  drums. 
A  separate  swinging  engine  was  used,  and  was  equipped  with  two 
drums  having  a  diameter  of  18  in.  A  3-in.  chain  connected  the 


DIPPER  DREDGES 


189 


drums  with  a  steel  swinging  circle  having  a  diameter  of  17  ft.  4  in. 
A  small  dynamo  was  belt  connected  to  the  swinging  engine  and 
furnished  light  for  the  night  operation  of  the  dredge.  Water  was 
at  first  pumped  directly  into  the  boiler  from  the  ditch,  but  as  the 
water  contained  so  much  scale-forming  impurities,  it  was  found 
necessary  to  install  a  feed  water  heater  and  purifier,  to  purify  the 
water  before  it  was  used  in  the  boiler.  Fig.  87  is  a  view  of  this 
dredge  at  work,  equipped  with  a  1}  yd.  dipper. 

The  following  table  gives  the  amount  of  excavation  made  by 
this  dredge  during  the  months  when  operation  was  uniform  and 
uninterrupted  by  climatic  conditions,  floocfe,  etc. 


Month 

Progress 

Estimated 
excavation 

Actual 
excavation 

Surplus 
excavation 

August,  1908  

5,75°  ft. 

54,227  cu.  yd. 

58,708  cu.  yd. 

4,481  cu.  yd. 

September,  1908.  .  . 

4,600  ft. 

54,395  cu.  yd. 

60,443  cu.  yd. 

6,048  cu.  yd. 

October,  1908  

6,350  ft. 

65,383  cu.  yd. 

74,753  cu.  yd. 

9,370  cu.  yd. 

November,  1908.  .  . 

6,250  ft. 

62,108  cu.  yd. 

67,279  cu.  yd. 

5,171  cu.  yd. 

December,  1908.  .  . 

5,75o  ft. 

60,805  cu-  yd- 

63,894  cu.  yd. 

3,089  cu.  yd. 

April,  1909  

6,700  ft. 

74,287  cu.  yd. 

79,310  cu.  yd. 

5,023  cu.  yd. 

May,  1909  

4,800  ft. 

69,536  cu.  yd. 

75,401  cu.  yd. 

5,865  cu.  yd. 

The  " surplus  excavation"  shows  that  the  dredge  excavated  out- 
side of  the  side  slopes  of  i  to  i  and  the  bottom  grade,  which  were 
required  by  the  specification  and  established  by  the  side  slope  and 
grade  stakes.  This  " surplus  excavation"  is  necessitated  by  the  fact 
that  the  dredge  cannot  excavate  a  true  i  to  i  side  slope  or  uniformly 
to  grade.  The  contractor  is  not  paid  for  this  extra  work,  but  only 
for  the  excavation  within  the  boundaries  established  by  the  stakes 
and  the  specification.  During  the  seven  months,  as  recorded  in 
the  table  above,  the  average  actual  monthly  excavation  was  68,541 
cu.  yd.,  the  average  estimated  monthly  excavation  was  62,963  cu. 
yd.,  making  an  average  monthly  surplus  of  5,578  cu.  yd.  or  about 
9  per  cent.  During  August,  1908,  the  dredge  was  working  in  the 
upper  section  of  the  ditch,  whose  cross-section  was  a  base  of  20  ft., 
average  dpeth  of  9!  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i.  From  September, 

1908,  to  December,  1908,  inclusive,  the  dredge  was  excavating  a 
ditch  the  cross-section  of  which  was  a  base  of  25  ft.,  an  average 
depth  of  10  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i.     During  April  and  May, 

1909,  the  dredge  worked  in  the  ditch  where  the  botton  width  was 


190 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


30  ft.,  average  depth  of  loj  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i.  The 
material  excavated  was  loam  to  a  depth  of  from  3  to  6  ft.  and  the 
remainder  yellow  clay.  Fig.  88  shows  a  view  of  the  ditch  just  after 
its  excavation  by  the  dredge  illustrated  in  Fig.  87. 

The  work  was  carried  on  in  two  shifts  of  10  hours  each  for  six 
days  a  week.  Sunday  was  spent  in  making  small  repairs,  cleaning 
and  boiling  the  machinery,  rolling  and  replacing  boiler  tubes,  etc. 


Drainage  Ditch  excavated  by  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  88. 

The  following  schedule  gives  the  cost  of  labor  employed  in  the 
operation  of  the  dredge: 

2  engineers  or  runners, 
2  cranesmen, 
2  firemen, 
4  laborers, 
i  cook, 


$100  per  month, 

$200.00 

75  per  month, 

150.00 

60  per  month, 

I  2O  .  OO 

50  per  month, 

200  .  oo 

35  per  month, 

35-00 

or  cost, 

$705.00 

ating  dredge, 

$5,641.29 

i  excavated, 

0.0123 

Fuel: 


730  tons  of  coal  @  $6.50  per  ton, 
Cost  of  fuel  per  cubic  yard  excavated, 


Repairs  and  Maintenance: 

Total  cost  of  cables,  bolts,  pins,  blocks,  sheaves, 

oil,  waste,  grease,  etc., 

Cost  of  repairs  and  maintenance  per  cubic  yard 
excavated, 


$4,748.52 
0.0103 


$2,535.44 


0.0055 


DIPPER  DREDGES  191 

Board  and  Lodging: 

Total  cost  of  board  and  lodgings  for  10  men  and 

i  woman  cook  for  200  days,  $1,417.03 
Cost  of  board  and  lodging  per  cubic  yard  exca- 
vated, 0.0038 
Total  cost  of  operating  dredge  for  200  days,         $14,342 .  28 
Cost  of  operation  per  day,                                               71.71 
Cost  of  operation  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0312 
Initial  cost  of  dredge  (moving,  erection  and  dis- 
mantling) and  of  house  boat,1  $8,830. 16 

The  following  allowance   is   made   for   general   and   overhead 
expenses. 


Supervision  and  general  office  expenses,  $2,000.00 

Interest  on  investment  (8  per  cent,  of  $8,830. 16),      706.41 
Depreciation  (20  per  cent,  of  $8,830. 16),  1,776.03 


Total  amount  of  general  expenses,  $4,482.44 

Amount  of  general  expenses  per  cubic  yard  exca- 
vated, 0.0097 
Total  cost  of  work  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0409 
Contract  price  for  excavation,  o .  0800 


y6d.  Use  in  Illinois. — An  unusually  good  example  of  floating-dipper 
dredge  work  has  recently  been  completed  in  Whiteside  and  Henry 
Counties,  Illinois.  The  ditch  was  excavated  through  clay  for  the  first 
6  to  7  ft.  in  depth  and  underlaid  by  coarse  sand.  The  latter  gave  very 
little  trouble  by  filling  in  on  account  of  the  shallow  depth  of  2  to  3  ft. 
of  that  material.  The  ditch  had  a  bottom  width  of  18  ft.,  an  average 
d&pth  of  8  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  i  to  i. 

The  length  of  the  ditch  was  about  8j  miles. 

The  dredge  used  was  a  Marion  floating-dipper  dredge,  equipped 
with  a  45-ft.  boom  and  a  ii  cu.  yd.  dipper.  The  average  excavation 
was  41,070  cu.  yd.  per  month,  which  would  make  the  progress  of  the 
dredge  about  i  mile  per  month.  The  total  excavation  was  334,000 
cu.  yd.  and  the  actual  operating  time  was  200  days  of  two  n-hour 
shifts  each. 

The  following  schedule  gives  the  cost  of  labor  employed  in  the 
operation  of  the  dredge. 

1  The  cost  of  boiler  and  engines  was  $6,000. 


192  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

2  engineers  or  runners,     @  $3 . 13  per  day,  $6. 16 

2  cranemen,                       @    1.85  per  day,  3-7° 

2  firemen,                           @    1.45  per  day,  2 . 90 

2  deckmen,                          @    1.35  per  day,  2.70 

i  coalman,                          @    0.94  per  day,  0.94 


Total  cost  of  labor  per  day  (two  n-hour  shifts),        $16.40 
Total  cost  of  labor  for  operating  dredge,  $3,217.  50 

Cost  of  labor  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0096 


Fuel: 


628  tons  of  coal  @  $5  per  ton,  $3,140.00 

Cost  of  fuel  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0094 

Repairs  and  Maintenance: 

Total  cost  of  cables,  bolts,  pins,  blocks,  etc.,  $250.00 

Cost  of  repairs  and  maintenance  per  cubic  yard 

excavated,  0.0007 

Board  and  Lodging: 

Total  cost  of  board  and  lodging  for  nine  men  and 

one  cook  for  about  eight  months,  $795 . 60 
Cost  of  board  and  lodging  per  cubic  yard  exca- 
vated, 0.0024 

Total  cost  of  operation  of  dredge,1  $7,403. 10 

Cost  of  operation  per  cubic  yard  excavated,  0.0221 

Cost  of  operation  per  working  day,  37.016 

Initial  cost  of  dredge  (moving  and  erection),  5,000.00 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  above  costs  are  uniformly  low  for  floating- 
dipper  dredge  operations.  Conditions  for  continuous  and  successful 
work  in  this  case  were  unusually  favorable,  such  as  pleasant  weather, 
soft  soil  and  few  breakdowns.  Due  credit  should  here  be  given  to 
careful  and  skilful  operation  of  the  machinery. 

760.  Use  in  California. — The  report  of  the  progress  of  construction 
work  on  the  Los  Angeles  aqueduct  for  the  month  of  February,  1911, 
gives  the  following  statement  of  dredging  in  Owens  Valley. 

The  dredge  consisted  of  a  scow  on  which  was  mounted  a  Model  60, 
Marion  electric  shovel,  equipped  with  a  i  J  cu.  yd.  dipper.  The  yardage 
is  based  on  the  theoretical  section  of  the  canal  or  14.81  cu.  yd.  per 
lineal  foot. 

Following  is  the  tabulated  data: 

1  Not  including  interest  on  investment  and  overhead  expenses. 


DIPPER  DREDGES 


193 


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194  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

76f.  Use  in  Louisiana. — The  reclamation  of  about  3,000  acres  of 
swamp  land  in  a  district  near  New  Orleans,  La.,  comprised  the  excava- 
tion of  two  main  canals  having  a  bottom  width  of  18  ft.  and  an  aver- 
age depth  of  7^  ft.  The  material  excavated  was  what  is  known  as 
"  sharkey  clay,"  which  is  silt  deposited  by  the  Mississippi  River.  The 
soil  was  wet,  as  the  general  elevation  of  the  ground  surface  was  about 
5  ft.  above  sea  level. 

The  excavators  used  were  two  Marion  floating- dipper  dredges,  one 
with  a  f  cu.  yd.  dipper  and  the  other  with  a  ij  cu.  yd.  dipper.  The 
small  dredge  cost  $8,500  to  construct  ready  for  operation.  The  whole 
plant  was  estimated  as  worth  $20,500  at  the  commencement  of  the 
work.  Crude  oil  was  used  for  fuel  and  was  hauled  from  New  Orleans 
on  two  oil  barges  of  400  gal.  capacity  each,  by  a  25-h.p.  gasoline  tug. 

The  rate  of  wages  paid  were  as  follows: 

Engineer,  $125.00  per  month. 

Craneman,  65.00  per  month. 

Fireman,  50.00  per  month. 

Laborers,  2.00  per  day. 

These  rates  include  board  and  lodging. 

Following  is  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  operation  from  the  latter  part 
of  1909  to  August,  1911. 

Total  excavation.  674,921  cu.  yd. 

Cost  Per  Cubic  Yard: 

Plant  (arbitrary),1  $0.0076 

General,  0.0059 

Repairs,  0.0020 

Supplies,  0.0138 

Fuel,  0.0094 

Labor,  0.0219 

Camp.  o  0081 


Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  $0.0687 

77.  Re'sume'.  —  The  floating  dredge,  in  its  many  forms,  is  the  best- 
known  and  most  popular  class  of  machinery  used  in  the  construc- 
tion of  drainage  canals  and  ditches,  in  England  and  on  the  Conti- 
nent, the  ladder  and  hydraulic  dredges  were  early  developed  and 
have  been  generally  used.  In  this  country,  the  average  dredge  con- 
tractor has  not  been  willing  to  put  a  large  sum  of  money  into  a 


on  a  depreciation  of  25  per  cent,  for  two  years'  use.     The  above  does 
not  include  interest  or  overhead  expenses. 


DIPPER  DREDGES 


195 


permanent  plant,  but  has  demanded  returns  on  a  smaller  invest- 
ment. For  example,  the  English  or  French  contractor  will  spend 
$100,000  for  a  ladder  dredge  with  a  daily  capacity  of  3,000  cu.  yd., 
while  the  American  contractor  will  be  content  to  invest  $40,000 
in  a  less  substantial  dipper  dredge  of  the  same  capacity,  time  being 
the  chief  element  which  the  American  considers. 

A  large  part  of  open  ditch  work  is  done  in  low,  swampy  land 
where  it  is  difficult  for  anything  but  a  boat  to  move  about.  Thus 
it  early  becomes  necessary  to  mount  excavating  machinery  on  a 
boat  or  hull  in  order  to  reach  the  scene  of  operations.  The  simplest 
form  of  excavator  is  a  steam  shovel  mounted  on  a  hull  and  so 
arranged  as  to  be  stable  under  all  conditions.  The  dipper  dredge 
of  to-day  is  a  remarkable  piece  of  machinery.  It  can  raise  its 
spuds  and  move  in  a  minute's  time,  excavate  all  kinds  of  soil  from  silt 


Cross-section  of  Ditch  Excavated  with  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. 
Figure  89. 

to  loose  rock,  pull  stumps,  remove  boulders,  bridges,  and  various  other 
obstructions,  drive  piling,  erect  simple  structures,  build  earthen 
dams,  etc. 

The  dipper  dredge  can  be  used  for  the  excavation  of  any  ditch, 
the  width  of  which  is  greater  than  16  ft.  There  must,  of  course, 
be  sufficient  water  to  float  the  dredge.  It  is  sometimes  necessary 
during  dry  seasons  to  sink  a  well  and  pump  water  into  a  small  arti- 
ficial reservoir  built  around  the  dredge  in  order  to  float  it.  Open 
ditches  with  top  width  of  16  ft.  and  depth  of  3  ft.,  to  those  having 
a  width  of  100  ft.  and  depth  of  20  ft.,  have  been  successfully  con- 
structed by  this  versatile  excavator.  These  ditches  are  not  true 
or  uniform  in  cross-section  and  cannot  be  made  by  a  dipper  dredge 
with  smooth  and  continuous  side  slopes.  The  cross-section  of  a 
typical  dipper  dredge  ditch  is  rounded  as  shown  in  Fig.  89.  The 


1 96  FLO  A  TIXG  EXCA  VA  TORS 

principal  objection  to  the  use  of  a  floating  dipper  dredge  is  the 
roughness  and  unevenness  of  the  ditch,  and  the  objections  to  this 
are  stated  in  Articles  52  and  58.  However,  the  author  has  found 
from  his  experience  in  superintending  such  work  that  much  of  the 
roughness  is  unnecessary  and  is  due  to  the  careless  operation  of  the 
dredge.  After  two  or  three  years  of  use,  with  ditch  running  on 
an  average  one-quarter  full,  the  cross-section  will  gradually  take 
the  form  of  a  semi-circle,  which  is  the  best  and  most  efficient  form 
of  an  open  channel.  Such  a  ditch  will,  bowever,  require  consider- 
able maintenance  to  remove  vegetation  along  the  side,  and  silt 
and  debris  from  the  bottom. 

Under  average  working  conditions  the  capacity  of  a  if-yd. 
dipper  dredge  should  be  about  1,250  cu.  yd.  for  each  n-hour  shift. 
The  operating  cost  should  average  about  4  cents  per  cubic  yard. 
For  a  si-yd.  dipper  dredge  the  excavation  should  average  about 
2,000  cu.  yd.  at  an  operating  cost  of  5^  cents. 

78.  Bibliography. — For  additional  information,  see  the  following: 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896  by 
Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,   105  figures,  8  by 
ii  in. 

2.  Dredges  and  Dredging,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1911  by  D.  Van 
Nostrand,  New  York.     294  pages,  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $3. 

3.  Earth  and  Rock  Excavation,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1905  by  D. 
Van  Nostrand,  New  York.     421  pages,  167  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $3. 

4.  Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Engineering 
News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     254  pages,  54  figures,  5^  by  7  in.,  cost  $2. 

5.  Mechanics  of  Hoisting  Machinery,  by  Weisbach  and  Hermann,  published 
in  1893  by  Macmillan  &  Co.,  New  York.     329  pages,  5!  by  8|  in.,  177  figures. 

6.  Excavating  Machinery,  by  J.  O.  Wright.      Bulletin  published  in  1904  by 
Department  of    Drainage    Investigations  of  U.  S.   Department  of  Agriculture, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  The  Claquette  Clam-shell  Dredge,   C.   E.   Davenport;    Compressed    Air, 
December,  1903.     Illustrated,  2,700  words. 

2.  A   Combination   Dipper   and   Clam-shell    Bucket   Dredge,    Frank   Edes; 
International  Marine  Engineering,  August,  1909.     Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

3.  The  Cost  of  Deep-water  Dredging  with  a  Clam-shell  Dredge  for  the  Stony 
Point  Extension  of  the  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Breakwater,  Emile  Low;  Engineering 
News,  October  n,  1906.     1,000  words. 

4.  Cost  of  Dredging  with  Different  Classes  of  Plant,  John  Bogart;  Engineering 
Record,  August  10,  1901. 


LADDER  DREDGES  197 

5.  Cost  of  Excavating  4,151,000  cu.  yd.  of  Material  with  51   Dipper  and 
Bucket  Dredges  in  1911;  Engineering-Contracting,  October  16,  1912. 

6.  Dredges,  A.  Baril;  Revue  de   Mecanique,    March  31,    1907.     Illustrated, 
first  part,  2,500  words. 

7.  Dredges   on   the   New   York   State   Barge   Canal;   Engineering,  London. 
September  22,  1911. 

8.  Dredging,  J.  J.  Webster;  Engineering,  London,  March  4,  1887. 

9.  Dredging    and    Dredging    Appliances,    Bryson     Cunningham;    Cassier's 
Magazine,  November,  1905.     Illustrated,  first  part,  2,500  words. 

10.  Dredging  Machinery,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Engineering,  London,  January  7 
and  14,  1887. 

11.  Dredging  Machines,  John  Bogart;  Engineering,  London,  August  29,  1902. 

12.  Dredging  Operations  and  Appliances,  J.  J.  Webster;  Proceedings  of  Insti- 
tute of  Civil  Engineers,  Vol.  LXXXIX. 

13.  The  Dredge  "Independent";  Engineering  Record,  June  i,  1907.     Illus- 
trated, 1,400  words. 

14.  English  and  American  Dredging  Practice,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Engineering 
News,  March  19,  1896. 

15.  Experiments  with  Automatic  Dredges,  Herr  Kammerer;  Zeitschrift  des 
Vereines  Deutscher  Ingeineur,  April  20,  1912.     Illustrated,  2,000  words. 

16.  European  Sea-going  Dredges  and  Deep  Water  Dredging,  E.  L.  Corthell; 
Engineering  Magazine,  April  and  May,  1898.     Illustrated,  8,000  words. 

17.  Evolution  of  the  California  Clam-shell  Dredger,  H.  A.  Crafts;  Scientific 
American,  September  30,  1905.     Illustrated,  700  words. 

18.  A  i5-yd.  Dipper  Dredge;  International  Marine  Engineering,  May,  1910. 
Illustrated,  2,500  words. 

19.  Harbor   Dredging,    Brysson   Cunningham;    Cassier's   Magazine,    March, 
1912.     Illustrated,  3,000  words. 

20.  Large  Bucket  Broom  Dredge;  Engineering  Record,  July  27,  1895. 

21.  A  Large  Single  Rope  Dipper  Dredge;  Engineering  News,  February  28, 1901. 
Illustrated,  1,400  words. 

22.  Largest  Dredging  Plant  in  the  World,  Engineering  News,  May  9,  1912. 
4,000  words. 

23.  Modern  Dredging  Appliances   for  Waterways,    J.    A.    Seager;    Cassier's 
Magazine,  January,  1910. 

24.  A  Modern  Dredging  Plant;  Engineering  News,  September  21,  1893. 

25.  Modern   Machinery   for   Excavating   and   Dredging,    A.    W.    Robinson; 
Engineering  Magazine,  March  and  April,  1903. 

26.  A  Powerful  Dredge  Equipped  with  a  Cable  Storage  Drum;  Engineering 
News,  February  7,  1907. 

27.  Self-dumping  Dredges  with  Wide  Jaws,  Wintermeyer;  Sliickauf,  December 
23,  1911.     Illustrated,  2,100  words. 

28.  Ten-yard  Clam-shell  Dredge  for  the  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  Breakwater  Construc- 
tion; Engineering  News,  February  2,  1899.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

B.  LADDER  DREDGES 

80.  Field  of  Work.— The  ladder,  or  elevator  dredge,  is  a  type  of 
excavator  jvhich  is  very  popular  and  has  been  used  for  many  years  in 


198  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

England  and  on  the  Continent.  However,  in  this  country,  it  has  been 
principally  used  for  placer  mining  in  the  Northwest  and  in  Alaska. 
Not  until  recently  has  this  type  of  dredge,  been  used  in  reclamation 
projects.  The  best-known  examples  of  the  use  of  a  ladder  dredge  in 
canal  construction  are  those  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal  and 
the  Panama  Canal.  During  the  last  three  years  (1909-12),  a  ladder 
dredge  of  large  capacity  has  been  used  with  considerable  success  in  the 
excavation  of  a  large  drainage  ditch  in  western  Iowa  and  also  in  the 
construction  of  irrigation  ditches  in  Idaho.  It  is  unfortunate  that 
cost  data  on  the  use  of  this  dredge  are  not  available.  Descriptions  of 
ladder  dredge  operations  on  the  Fox  River,  Wisconsin  and  on  the  New 
York  State  Barge  Canal  will  be  given  later  on  in  this  chapter. 

81.  General  Description. — The  ladder,  or  elevator  dredge,  consists 
of  a  barge  or  hull,  which  supports  the  excavating  machinery.     The 


Elevator  Dredge  Excavating  Large  Drainage  Ditch. 
Figure  91. 

latter  is  made  up  of  a  ladder^  which  is  a  framework,  carrying  at  each 
end  two  sheaves  over  which  run  two  endless  chains.  Along  these 
chains  are  placed  buckets  or  scrapers  at  intervals  of  about  3  to  6  ft. 
each  holding  from  3  to  15  cu.  ft.  One  end  of  the  ladder  is  hinged  to 
the  hull  and  the  other  end  is  suspended  from  a  frame  placed  at  the  bow 
of  the  hull.  By  means  of  wire  rope  running  over  sheaves,  the  outer  end 
of  the  ladder  may  be  raised  and  lowered  to  any  desired  depth.  The 
buckets  in  passing  around  the  ladder  scrape  the  material  from  the 
bottom  and  front  of  the  excavation  and  bring  it  to  the  upper  end  of  the 


LADDER  DREDGES  199 

ladder  above  the  deck.  Power  is  applied  from  an  engine  to  a  shaft, 
which  passes  through  the  ladder  and  drives  the  chains  to  which  the 
buckets  are  attached.  The  material  is  automatically  discharged  from 
the  buckets  upon  belt  conveyors,  which  carry  it  to  the  spoil  banks  or 
to  barges  for  removal.  In  some  cases  the  excavated  material  falls 
into  a  hopper,  where  it  is  mixed  with  water  and  the  resulting  fluid  mass 
flows  through  spouts  or  troughs  to  the  spoil  areas.  The  horizontal 
movement  of  the  dredge  is  generally  secured  by  a  single  spud  which  is 
placed  and  operated  at  the  stern  of  the  hull.  In  some  ladder  dredges 
the  heel  of  the  ladder  is  pivoted  to  the  hull,  so  that  the  ladder  may  be 
rotated.  However,  the  ladder  is  generally  fixed  to  the  hull  and  passes 
through  a  well  in  the  bow.  Fig.  91  shows  a  front  view  of  a  large 
ladder  dredge  in  the  excavation  of  a  drainage  ditch  near  Glencoe,  Iowa. 

HULL 

The  hull  or  barge  is  rectangular  in  shape  and  generally  constructed 
of  heavy  timbers.  The  hull  may  be  built  as  one  structure  with  a  well 
through  the  bow  for  the  ladder,  or  as  two  structures  with  a  space 
between  for  the  operation  of  the  ladder.  The  latter  type  of  construc- 
tion was  used  for  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal  dredges  so  that 
they  might  pass  through  the  locks  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

The  size  of  the  hull  depends  on  the  capacity  of  the  dredge.  The 
length,  which  varies  from  60  to  1 20  ft.  is  generally  about  five  and  one- 
half  times  the  width,  which  varies  from  30  to  50  ft.,  and  the  depth 
varies  from  6  to  10  ft.  The  draft  of  a  completed  dredge  is  from  4  to 
6  ft.  Suitable  cross  frames  of  timber  or  steel  are  used  to  brace  the 
hull  and  heavy  planking  with  well-calked  joints  forms  the  outer 
covering. 

A  few  ladder  dredges  have  had  hulls  composed  of  two  steel  pontoons, 
which  were  held  parallel,  at  a  suitable  distance  apart,  by  steel  cross- 
frames. 

LADDER 

The  ladder  is  composed  of  the  chain  of  buckets  and  the  frame  upon 
which  it  revolves.  The  ladder  frame  is  generally  a  structural  steel 
framework  or  trussed  wooden  beam.  The  length  of  the  ladder  frame 
varies  with  the  size  and  capacity  of  the  dredge  and  the  depth  of  excava- 
tion to  be  made.  The  upper  end  of  the  ladder-frame  is  hinged  to  the 
upper  tumbler-shaft,  while  the  lower  end  is  suspended  by  heavy  tackle, 


200 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


from  the  bow  gantry.  The  frame  carries  at  its  two  ends  tumblers  or 
large  metal  barrels.  The  upper  tumbler  is  revolved  by  power  supplied 
from  the  main  engine  through  a  shaft,  while  the  lower  tumbler  is 
revolved  by  the  friction  of  the  bucket  chain. 

The  upper  tumbler  is  pentagonal,  while  the  lower  tumbler  is  often 
made  hexagonal.  The  five-sided  tumbler  is  the  most  practical  shape 
for  both  tumblers,  as  it  allows  three  adjacent  sets  of  links  to  come  into 
contact  wdth  the  tumbler  at  a  time  and  \vith  continuous  operation  of 
the  chain. 

CHAIN  AND  BUCKETS 

The  chain  is  composed  of  buckets,  links,  and  the  connecting  pins. 
The  chain  may  be  arranged  in  two  different  ways,  depending  on  the 


Bucket  Chain  and  Gantry  of  Ladder  Dredge. 
Figure  92. 

material  to  be  excavated.     For  hard  material,  the  buckets  are  joined 
directly,  following  each  other  closely,  as  shown  in  Fig.  92. 


LADDER  DREDGES  201 

For  softer  materials,  such  as  would  ordinarily  be  encountered  in 
the  excavation  of  drainage  and  irrigation  ditches,  the  buckets  are 
separated  by  a  link  connection,  making  a  space  between  the  adjacent 
buckets. 

The  buckets  are  generally  made  in  three  parts  and  riveted  together. 
The  bottom  is  made  of  a  specially  treated,  open-hearth,  basic  steel 
casting,  the  sides  of  pressed  steel  and  the  cutting  edge  of  manganese 
steel.  A  continuous  lip  or  cutting  edge  is  generally  used  for  the  ex- 
cavation of  soft  material,  while  teeth  are  used  when  hard  material  is 
to  be  excavated. 

The  pins  are  made  of  steel  and  have  a  continuous  bearing  along  the 
rear  edge  of  the  bucket.  The  outer  ends  of  each  pin  are  fixed  by  set 
screws  in  the  bushings  of  the  outer  ends  of  the  links.  The  buckets  are 
fastened  to  the  links  by  rivets  and  the  whole  chain  is  made  of  such 
strength  that  if  the  buckets  encounter  an  obstruction  that  they  are 
unable  to  move,  the  chain  and  machinery  will  be  stopped.  The 
buckets  have  a  capacity  from  3  to  13  cu.  ft.,  the  ordinary  sizes  being 
3,  5  and  8j  cu.  ft.  The  movement  of  the  buckets  is  slow  and  uniform, 
the  chain  moving  at  a  rate  of  1 8  to  20  buckets  per  minute. 

GANTRY 

The  lower  end  of  the  ladder-frame  is  suspended  from  a  gantry  or 
inclined  framework,  which  is  placed  at  the  bow  of  the  hull.  This 
gantry  is  generally  built  of  heavy  timbers  or  structural  steel  shapes. 
The  framework  may  be  made  with  either  parallel  or  inclined  posts. 
At  the  top  of  the  frame  are  hung  suitable  sheaves  over  which  run  the 
wire  cable  supporting  the  lower  end  of  the  ladder  frame.  See  Fig.  92. 
The  gantry  has  a  height  of  from  15  to  25  ft. 

SPOIL  CONVEYORS 

The  material  contained  in  each  bucket  is  automatically  deposited 
when  the  bucket  turns  over  the  upper  tumbler  and  starts  on  its  down- 
ward path.  The  material  either  falls  into  a  hopper  or  upon  a  moving 
belt.  The  latter  type  is  generally  used  in  reclamation  work.  The 
moving  belt  is  either  leather  or  canvas  and  rubber,  from  2  to  4  ft.  in 
width,  and  is  supported  on  a  series  of  small  wheels,  which  are  spaced 
along  a  light  steel  frame.  This  frame  extends  from  the  hull  to  each 
side  of  the  ditch  or  canal  and  is  supported  as  a  cantilever,  from  an 
A-frame.  See  Fig.  97.  Where  the  excavated  material  has  to  be 


202  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

carried  to  a  distance,  the  conveyor  is  often  placed  at  the  stern  of 
the  hull  and  a  series  of  conveyors  supported  on  pontoons  are  used. 
See  Fig.  96. 

SPUDS 

One  or  two  spuds  are  placed  at  the  stern  of  the  hull  to  secure  stability 
of  the  dredge  in  operation,  but  principally  to  provide  for  the  horizontal 
movement  of  the  dredge.  The  spuds  are  generally  built  of  a  single 
timber  with  a  pointed  iron  shoe  at  the  lower  end,  and  are  usually 
operated  by  separate  engines  of  the  type  used  on  floating  dipper 
dredges  as  explained  in  Chapter  VII. 

ENGINES 

The  engines  used  are  of  the  standard  horizontal,  double-cylinder 
type,  as  described  in  Chapter  VII  for  floating  dipper  dredges.  Inde- 
pendent engines  are  used  for  the  operation  of  the  bucket-line,  the  raising 
or  lowering  of  the  ladder,  the  operation  of  the  spoil  conveyors  and 
operation  of  the  spuds. 

In  many  cases  the  conveyor  and  main  engine  are  driven  by  elecrtic 
motors.  The  power  is  furnished  from  an  electric  generator  which 
may  be  belt  or  direct  connected  to  a  steam  engine. 

A  centrifugal  pump,  driven  by  a  separate  engine,  is  generally  used 
to  furnish  water  for  a  hydraulic  monitor,  for  the  hoppers  (if  there  are 
any)  and  for  perforated  pipes,  which  extend  along  the  sides  of  the  belt 
conveyor  for  cleansing  purposes. 

Steam  pumps  of  standard  type  are  used  to  supply  the  condensers, 
feed- water  heaters,  and  the  boilers  with  suitable  water  supply. 

BOILERS 

The  boilers  used  are  generally  of  the  Scotch  marine  type  and  should 
be  of  more  than  estimated  capacity  to  supply  power  for  the  various 
engines.  The  reader  is  advised  to  read  the  discussion  of  boilers  in 
Chapters  VI  and  VII. 

8ia.  Use  on  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal.1 — Two  ladder  dredges,  named 
the  Tornado  and  the  Cyclone,  were  used  during  the  year  1909  on  the 
New  York  State  Barge  Canal.  They  were  alike  in  construction  and 
the  conveyor  systems  were  made  interchangeable.  In  operation,  how- 

1  Abstracted  from  Barge  Canal  Bulletin,  March,  1909. 


LADDER  DREDGES 


203 


ever,  the  dredge  Cyclone  used  the  scow  conveying  system  and  the 
dredge  Tornado  the  shore  conveyor. 

The  dredge  hulls  were  made  in  two  sections  so  that  the  dredges 
could  pass  through  the  locks  of  the  Erie  Canal.  Each  section  of  the 
hull  or  pontoon  had  a  length  of  97  ft.,  a  width  of  17  ft.,  and  drew  9  ft. 
of  water.  They  were  constructed  of  heavy  timbers  covered  with  plank- 
ing and  the  sections  braced  together  with  steel  truss  frames.  The 


View  of  Front  End  of  Ladder  Dredge  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal. 

Figure  94. 

sections  or  pontoons  were  flat  bottomed,  the  bows  blunt-pointed  and 
the  sterns  square. 

The  bucket  line  was  carried  by  a  heavy  ladder  frame  composed  of 
steel-plate  girders  having  an  over-all  length  of  50  ft.  The  upper  end 
of  the  frame  was  hinged  to  the  upper  tumbler  shaft,  while  the  lower  end 
was  suspended  by  means  of  a  heavy  tackle  from  the  main  or  bow 
gantry.  This  is  a  steel  framework  composed  of  four  channel  posts 
well  braced  transversely.  These  details  are  well  shown  in  Fig.  94. 

The  bucket  line  was  of  the  close  or  continuous  bucket  system  and 
each  bucket  was  constructed  in  three  parts;  the  bottom  of  an  open- 
hearth,  basic  steel  casting,  the  sides  of  pressed  steel  and  the  cutting 


204  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

edge  of  manganese  steel.  The  capacity  of  each  bucket  was  8|  cu.  ft. 
and  its  weight  2,050  Ib.  or  practically  i  ton.  The  buckets  and  links 
were  hinged  together  with  4-in.  turned  steel  pins. 

In  Fig.  94,  it  will  be  noticed  that  a  large  monitor  nozzle  is  placed 
above  the  bow  of  the  dredge.  This  was  used  to  break  away  and  wash 
down  material  from  high  banks  in  front  of  the  dredge.  Water  under 
high  pressure  was  forced  through  this  nozzle  by  a  i2-in.  centrifugal 
pump,  direct  connected  to  an  n-in.  by  ic-in.  marine  engine. 

The  main  power  equipment  of  each  dredge  consisted  of  a  loo-kw. 
generator  direct  connected  to  a  i3~in.  by  i6-in.  horizontal,  single- 
cylinder  engine.  A  i2-in.  centrifugal  pump  direct  connected  to  a  ico 
h.p.  double  engine  supplied  water  to  the  hoppers  and  to  the  jet-cleans- 
ing pipes  of  the  belt  conveyors.  Two  standard  steam  pumps,  of  the 
locomotive  type  of  150-!!. p.  each  were  used  for  boiler  supply. 

The  dredge  was  swung  from  side  to  side  across  the  channel  by 
wire  cables  attached  to  trees  along  the  sides  of  the  channel  and  to 
winch  drums  on  a  5-drum  winch  engine  operated  by  a  25-h.p. 
electric  motor. 

Two  spuds  were  located  at  the  stern  of  the  hull  and  when  digging 
both  were  kept  down  to  prevent  the  shoving  back  of  the  dredge. 
To  move  the  dredge  ahead,  one  spud  was  kept  down  and  the  hull 
was  swung  around  by  winding  up  the  cable  attached  to  the  shore. 
Then  this  spud  was  raised  and  the  other  spud  lowered  and  the  opera- 
tion repeated.  The  spuds  were  operated  by  a  special  8-in.  by  8j-in. 
reversible  engine  of  40  h.p.,  which  moved  gearing  directly  attached 
to  them. 

The  bucket  chain  moved  at  an  average  speed  of  22  per  minute, 
thus  discharging  250  cu.  yd.  in  about  26  minutes.  The  material 
passed  from  the  bucket  line  at  the  top  of  the  ladder  frame  into  a 
hopper.  A  grating  of  heavy  bars  was  placed  over  the  bottom  of  the 
hopper  to  intercept  heavy  stones,  limbs  of  trees  and  other  large 
objects.  The  material  after  passing  the  hopper,  fell  upon  a  belt 
conveyor  of  the  Robins  type.  This  conveyor  was  made  up  of  a 
steel  framework,  supporting  a  double-thick  canvas  and  rubber  belt, 
having  a  width  of  4  ft.  and  a  length  of  60  ft.  The  belt  was  driven 
by  a  25-h.p.  electric  motor  and  at  a  speed  varying  from  250  to  500 
ft.  per  minute,  depending  on  the  character  of  the  material  being 
handled.  The  belt  conveyor  dumps  the  material  on  to  a  delivery 
scow  which  carries  a  belt  conveyor  42  in.  wide  and  extending  the 
whole  length  of  the  scow.  The  belt  may  be  raised  so  as  to  have  a 
slope  as  great  as  n  degrees  with  the  horizontal.  The  delivery 


LADDER  DREDGES  205 

scow  was  equipped  with  a  winch,  which  was  used  for  placing  the 
dump  scows,  operating  the  spud  at  the  stern  and  tipping  the  delivery 
chute.  This  winch  was  operated  by  a  25-h.p.  electric  motor. 

The  Tornado  used  the  shore  conveyor  system.  In  this  case, 
the  delivery  scow  described  above,  was  replaced  by  an  intermediate 
scow  carrying  a  42-in.  Robins  conveyor  having  a  length  of  60 
ft.  This  belt  was  driven  by  a  2o-h.p.  electric  motor.  Attached  to 
the  intermediate  scow  was  a  shore  scow  80  ft.  long  and  52  ft.  wide 
carrying  a  conveyor  200  ft.  long.  By  means  of  this  shore  conveyor 
system,  the  excavated  material  was  placed  at  a  distance  of  100  ft. 
inshore  and  to  a  height  of  60  ft.  above  the  ground  surface.  The 
shore  conveyor  was  operated  by  a  yo-h.p.  electric  motor. 

All  of  the  machinery  of  the  dredge  and  of  the  conveyors  was  con- 
trolled by  one  operator,  located  in  a  small  house  placed  near  the 
bow  and  above  the  machinery  house.  Besides  this  operator  there 
were  required  an  engineer,  a  fireman,  an  oiler,  and  deck  hand  on 
the  dredge,  a  man  for  handling  and  controlling  the  conveyor  belts, 
and  three  men  for  handling  the  scows  while  loading.  On  the  shore 
conveyor  system,  one  man  was  required  on  the  intermediate  and 
the  shore  scows.  The  dredge  Cyclone  required  the  use  of  a  tug  and 
from  four  to  six  dump  scows.  Each  scow  was  of  the  standard, 
bottom-dumping  type,  80  ft.  wide  with  five  compartments  and  a 
capacity  of  250  cu.  yd.  Stones  up  to  a  size  of  24  in.  were  handled 
without  difficulty  and  material  of  all  kinds  from  silt  to  blasted 
hard  pan  and  rock  was  excavated. 

8ib.  Steel  Pontoon  Dredge,  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal.1— During 
the  four  months  from  August  i,  1909,  to  December  i,  1909,  a  ladder 
dredge  of  standard  design  was  operated  on  a  section  of  the  New  York 
State  Barge  Canal,  near  Adams  Basin.  Figs.  95  and  96  show  the 
front  and  rear  views  of  this  dredge. 

The  hull  was  made  up  of  two  steel  pontoons,  which  were  braced 
together  by  a  rigid  steel  framework.  The  buckets  were  each  of  5 
cu.  ft.  capacity.  The  excavated  material  was  discharged  into  a 
hopper  at  the  top  of  the  ladder  and  then  on  to  a  belt,  which  in  turn 
discharged  into  a  second  hopper  and  on  to  a  second  belt.  These 
belt  conveyors  were  carried  by  pontoons  or  scows,  placed  at  the  rear 
of  the  dredge.  A  third  belt  conveyor  carried  the  material  40  to 
50  ft.  on  to  the  bank  of  the  channel.  The  third  pontoon  was  pivoted 
to  the  stern  of  the  second  pontoon.  The  belt  conveyors  were  each 
operated  by  a  small  electric  motor. 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering- Contracting,  Sept.  7,  1910. 


206 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


The  total  cost  of  the  entire  dredge  plant  was  $70,000. 

Considerable  difficulty  was  experienced  in  keeping  the  soft  exca- 
vated material  in  place  on  the  spoil  banks.  At  first  heavy  wooden 
fences  were  built  to  hold  the  embankment  to  full  height.  But 


View  of  Excavating  End  of  Steel  Pontoon  Dredge  Operating  on  New  York 

State  Barge  Canal. 

Figure  95. 


View  of  Elevator  End  of  Steel  Pontoon  Dredge  Operating  on  New  York 

State  Barge  Canal. 

Figure  96. 

these  proved  to  be  very  expensive  and  inefficient  and  were  replaced 
by  dykes  of  earth  and  sod  having  a  height  of  4  ft.  and  placed  along 
the  outside  edge  of  the  embankment. 


LADDER  DREDGES  207 

Following  is  given  the  cost  of  the  work  for  the  months  of  August, 
September  and  October,  1909: 

AUGUST,  1909 

Coal  and  oil, 

15  tons  coal  for  hoisting  engine  @  $2.85, 

Miscellaneous  supplies  for  hoisting  engine, 

Miscellaneous  supplies  for  hoisting  engine  and  derrick, 

Hauling  supplies, 

Crew  of  dredge, 

Total  cost,  $4,389.66 

Total  excavation,  18,638  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation;  $4,389 . 66 -j- 18,638  =  23 . 6  cents  per  cubic  yard. 
Cost  of  moving  6,244  cu.  yd.  of  earth  by  use  of  scrapers, 

(supplementing  work  of  dredge),  $1,280.50 

Cost  of  scraper  work,  20 . 5  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

Cost  of  wooden  forms  and  compacting  and  spreading  10,015 

cu.  yd.  of  excavated  material,  $1,193.  25 

Cost  of  forms,  spreading,  etc.,  11.9  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

SEPTEMBER,  1909 

Interest,  depreciation  and  repairs,  $2,205.00 

180  tons  of  coal  (2  tons  per  shift),  513.00 

150  gal.  gasoline  @  12  cents,  48.00 

Oil  (80  gal.  @  19  cents,  60  gal.  @  35  cents,  36.  20 

1,200  Ib.  grease  @  8  cents,  96.00 

200  Ib.  waste  @  8  cents,  16.00 

Teams,  245 .  oo 

Labor,  2,827.00 


Total  cost,  $5,986.20 

Total  excavation,  32,000  cu.  yd. 
Cost  of  excavation,        $5,986.  20-7-32,000  =  18.6  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

Total  working  time  was  90  eight-hour  shifts.  ' 
The  cost  of  embankment  was  as  follows : 

Labor,  spreading  and  compacting,  $3,151 . 50 

Hauling  lumber  for  forms,  177. 1 6 

Cost  of  lumber  for  forms,  1,125.00 

General,  290.00 

Labor  on  forms,  828.32 

Hauling  supplies,  55  -oo 


Total  cost,  $5,626.98 

Total  amount  of  excavated  material  worked,  11,000  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  embankment;    $5,626.98^11,000  =  51.  i  cents  per  cubic  yard. 


208  FLO.  1  TL\G  KXt 'AVA  TORS 

OCTOBER,  1909 

Interest  and  depreciation,  $2,351.66 

186  tons  coal  @  $2.85,  530. 10 

Labor,  3,145.58 

Teams,  5-oo 

Oil,  grease  and  waste,  153.09 

Gasoline,  18.60 

Repairs,  18.90 


Total  cost,  $6,222.93 

Total  excavation,  25,500  cu.  yd. 
Cost  of  excavation;         $6,222.93-7-25,500  =  24.4  cents  per  cubic  yard. 
Total  working  time  was  93  eight-hour  shifts. 
The  cost  of  embankment  was  as  follows: 

Labor,  spreading  and  compacting,  $2,898.  25 

Forms,  567.50 

Erection,  108.50 

Hauling,  95 .00 


Total  cost,  $3,669.25 

Total  amount  of  excavated  material  worked,  21,800  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  embankment;    $3,669.  25-^2 1,800=16.9  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

8ic.  Use  on  Gran  Canal,  Mexico. — The  Gran  Canal,  which  was 
built  during  the  years  1890  to  1896  by  S.  Pearson  &  Son  of  England, 
was  designed  to  drain  three  lakes  near  the  City  of  Mexico,  Mexico. 
The  canal  had  a  total  length  of  29^  miles,  a  bottom  width  varying 
from  1 6  ft.  5  in.  to  21  ft.  4  in.,  a  depth  varying  from  33  ft.  to  72  ft., 
side  slopes  of  i  to  i  and  an  average  fall  or  grade  of  about  i  ft.  to  the 
mile.  For  the  first  14  miles,  the  soil  was  a  saponaceous  marl  for  the 
full  depth ;  for  the  last  1 5  miles  the  soil  was  this  same  material  for  the 
upper  20  ft.  and  below  this  was  a  hard  material  known  as  "tepetate." 

Five  ladder  dredges  excavated  about  8,500,000  cu.  yd.  in  four  years. 
These  dredges  were  built  by  Messrs.  Lobnitz  &  Co.  of  Renfrew, 
Scotland,  shipped  to  Mexico,  where  they  were  erected  on  the  site  of  the 
canal.  Four  of  the  dredges  were  of  the  same  size  and  build,  while  the 
fifth  was  larger  and  differed  from  the  others  somewhat  in  details  of 
construction.  The  hulls  of  the  four  smaller  dredges  were  made  of 
iron  and  had  a  length  of  120  ft.,  width  of  40  ft.  and  depth  of  7  ft.  and 
each  provided  with  a  ladder  well  40  ft.  in  length  and  7  ft.  in  width. 
The  hull  of  the  larger  dredge  had  a  length  of  140  ft.,  a  width  of  45  ft. 
and  a  depth  of  10  ft.  and  was  built  with  a  ladder  well,  the  length  of 
which  was  48  ft.  and  width  7  ft.  The  heights  of  the  upper  tumblers 
above  the  decks  of  the  hulls  were  56  ft.  for  the  smaller  dredges  and 
74  ft.  6  in.  for  larger  dredge. 


LADDER  DREDGES  209 

The  ladder  frames  were  box  girders  with  iV  in.  thick  web  plates, 
which  were  cross-braced  every  6  ft.  with  transverse  webs.  The  upper 
and  lower  ends  of  the  girders  were  provided  with  heavy  brackets  for 
the  support  of  the  tumbler  and  suspension  shafts.  To  the  web  plates, 
on  the  outside,  were  bolted  6-in.  elm  timbers.  The  ladders  were  all 
78  ft.  in  length,  4  ft.  6  in.  in  width  and  4  ft.  in  depth.  The  top 
tumbler  was  four-sided,  with  outside  flanges,  and  was  keyed  to  a  shaft 
1 2  in.  in  diameter,  which  alone  carried  the  drive  wheel,  chain  connected 
to  the  main  engine  shaft.  The  bottom  tumbler  was  six-sided,  with 
inside  and  outside  flanges  and  was  keyed  to  an  8-in.  diameter  shaft.  A 
guide  wheel  of  special  construction,  having  a  diameter  of  1 1  ft.  and  a 
width  of  3  ft.  9  in.,  was  placed  just  below  the  ladder  frame  near  its 
center,  and  served  as  a  guide  to  the  bucket  chain  and  also  to  take  up 
the  sag  of  the  chain.  The  wheel  was  made  of  solid  steel  plates, 
reinforced  with  6-in.  timbers  under  the  periphery  of  the  wheel,  to  take 
the  pounding  of  the  buckets.  The  bucket  chain  carried  buckets 
having  a  capacity  each  of  1 1  cu.  ft.  and  placed  3  ft.  3  in.  apart.  Each 
bucket  had  a  cast-steel  back  \  in.  thick,  a  body  of  iVin.  steel  plate 
with  f -in.  malleable  steel  cutting  edge  and  provided  with  bushings  of 
J-in.  wrought  manganese  steel  in  lugs.  Buckets  with  hinged  bottoms 
were  used  in  sticky  soil  and  a  cam  on  the  top  tumbler  was  used  to  lift 
the  bottoms  and  throw  out  the  contents.  The  buckets  were  fastened 
to  links  made  up  of  three  steel  plates  riveted  together  and  provided 
with  J-in.  wrought  manganese  steel  bushings,  fitted  at  the  ends  for 
pins.  These  were  of  wrought  manganese  steel  2\  in.  in  diameter. 

Steel  chutes,  extending  from  a  hopper  below  the  upper  tumbler, 
carried  the  material  to  the  spoil  banks  on  both  sides  of  the  canal. 
These  chutes  were  3  ft.  in  diameter  and  were  supported  by  wire  cables 
from  the  tops  of  A-frames,  which  were  placed  at  the  sides  of  the  hulls. 
The  inclination  of  these  chutes  could  be  varied  from  i  in  20,  to  i  in  5, 
and  the  excavated  material  was  carried  to  a  distance  of  165  ft.  from 
the  center  of  the  dredge. 

The  main  engine  of  each  dredge  was  a  two-crank  compound  engine, 
with  a  high-pressure  cylinder  14  in.  in  diameter  and  a  low-pressure 
cylinder  28  in.  in  diameter,  the  stroke  being  15  in.  At  a  speed  of 
100  r.p.m.,  the  developed  horse-power  of  each  engine  was  150.  A 
pitch  chain  connected  the  main  shaft  of  this  engine  to  the  upper  tumbler 
shaft  which,  by  means  of  gearing,  was  driven  at  a  speed  of  6  to  9  r.p.m. 

On  the  four  smaller  dredges  were  also  independent  two-crank 
compound  engines,  with  one  high-pressure  cylinder  9  in.  in  diameter 
and  one  low-pressure  cylinder  14  in.  in  diameter  with  a  stroke  of  12  in. 

14 


210  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

The  corresponding  engine  in  the  larger  dredge  had  a  high-pressure 
cylinder  10  in.  in  diameter,  a  low-pressure  cylinder  20  in.  in  diameter 
and  a  stroke  of  1 5  in.  These  engines  were  used  to  operate  the  wrinches, 
the  ladder-hoist  winches  and  the  tower  pumps. 

The  maneuvering  winches  were  placed  in  the  stern  of  each  dredge 
and  were  operated  by  belt  connections  to  an  overhead  line  of  shafting 
worked  by  the  auxiliary  engine.  The  ladders  were  raised  and  lowered 
by  a  chain  tackle  suspended  from  the  gantry  frames  at  the  bow  of  the 
hulls.  The  tackle  consisted  of  four  upper  and  five  lower  iron  sheaves, 
each  26  in.  in  diameter.  The  tower  pumps  were  operated  by  a  three- 
throw  shaft.  They  discharged  water,  at  a  maximum  rate  of  600  cu.  ft. 
per  minute  into  the  chutes,  through  a  1 2-in.  pipe. 

The  steam  was  furnished  by  three  return-tube  boilers,  each  having 
a  length  of  10  ft.  and  a  diameter  of  7  ft.  They  were  arranged  to  work 
independently  and  had  a  total  heating  surface  of  408  sq.  ft.,  a  grate 
area  of  19.6  sq.  ft.  and  a  working  pressure  of  75  Ib.  per  square  inch. 
A  hand  jib  crane  of  2  tons  capacity,  was  placed  at  the  box  of  each 
dredge  and  was  used  to  remove  buckets,  small  machinery  parts,  etc., 
which  had  to  be  sent  away  for  repairs. 

As  most  of  the  excavation  was  carried  on  in  two  n-hour  shifts, 
electric  generators  were  belt  connected  to  the  shafting  and  furnished 
light  for  the  night  shift. 

The  maximum  monthly  excavation  was  124,230  cu.  yd.  by  one 
dredge.  In  the  harder  soil,  the  average  excavation  was  90  cu.  yd.  per 
hour.  Difficulty  was  experienced  in  keeping  the  dredge  up  to  the 
face  and  prevent  bumping,  when  excavating  hard  soil.  Faces  up  to 
9  ft.  above  the  water  level  were  dredged,  but  a  face  of  6  ft.  in  height 
was  found  to  be  the  most  suitable  for  average  work. 

The  following  table  gives  the  relative  time  occupied  in  the  various 
steps  of  operation,  by  each  dredge: 

Soft  soil     Hard  soil 

Repairs  to  machinery,  11.4  27.0  £\ 

Changing  buckets,  links  and  pins,  1.7  2.9 

Shifting  mooring  chains,  9.1  5.1 

Cleaning  buckets  and  shoots,  i .  i  i .  o 

Sundries,  2.9  0.7 

Time  actually  dredging,  73 . 8  63 . 3 


100.0         100.0 

The  actual  amount  of  excavation  for  each  dredge  is  given  by  the 
following  table  (No.  i  being  the  larger  dredge  and  Nos.  2  to  5  inclusive, 
being  the  four  smaller  dredges) : 


LADDER  DREDGES  211 

No.  i  working  50  months,  2,480,250  cu.  yd. 

No.  2  working  48  months,  1,977,500  cu.  yd. 

No.  3  working  45  months,  i,S33,7oo  cu.  yd. 

No.  4  working  40  months,  1,692,000  cu.  yd. 

No.  5  working  34  months,  824,250  cu.  yd. 


Total,  8,507,700  cu.  yd. 

For  ii  months  the  dredges  worked  only  during  the  day  shift,  and 
during  the  remaining  time  worked  both  during  the  day  and  night 
shifts. 

The  crew  of  each  dredge  was  made  up  as  follows: 

i  captain  in  charge  of  dredge. 

1  mate,  as  first  assistant  to  captain. 

2  laddermen,  in  charge  of  repairs  to  ladder  and  bucket  chain  and  for  general 
repairs. 

1  chief  engineer,  in  charge  of  machinery. 

2  assistant  engineers,  to  operate  levers  and  have  general  care  of  machinery. 
2  oilers. 

4  firemen. 

1 6  winchmen. 

2  laborers,  to  look  after  chutes. 

24  laborers,  on  shore  to  look  after  moorings  and  anchors. 

i  coal  dredger,  for  special  service. 

4  laborers,  for  location  of  sights  on  shore  and  to  take  soundings. 

8 id.  Use  in  Washington. — The  U.  S.  Reclamation  Service  has  used 
a  Bucyrus  ladder  dredge  on  the  enlargement  of  the  Main  Canal  of 
the  Sunnyside  Project  near  Sunnyside,  Washington.  The  excavation 
extended  from  mile  0.228  to  mile  20.67 — making  a  total  length  of 
canal  dredged  of  20.342  miles.  The  average  distance  of  the  work 
from  a  railroad  station  was  2  miles. 

The  work  was  carried  on  in  two  shifts  from  December  i,  1909,  to 
June  19,  .1910,  and  in  three  shifts  per  day  from  June  19,  1910,  to 
October  1,1911.  The  character  of  the  material  excavated  varied  from 
loose  gravel  to  hard  pan.  At  about  mile  i,  the  material  was  so  hard 
that  explosives  were  necessary  to  assist  the  hydraulic  giant  in  break- 
ing down  the  high  banks.  Blasting  was  carried  on  from  this  point 
to  the  end  of  the  work.  From  mile  13  to  mile  20.67,  teams  were 
employed  to  excavate  the  high  banks  above  the  water  line.  Difficulty 
was  experienced  in  disposing  of  the  excavated  material  where  the  banks 
were  high.  On  fills  and  shallow  cuts  bulkheads  were  built  along  the 
right-of-way  on  the  lower  bank  to  keep  the  wet  material  from  flowing 
into  adjoining  fields.  In  winter,  ice  hindered  the  progress  of  the  work 
to  a  considerable  extent. 


212 


FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 


The  dredge  used  was  a  Bucyrus  ladder  dredge  equipped  with  steam- 
power  and  a  3i-cu.  ft.  continuous  bucket  chain.     The  hull  was  built 


Elevator  Dredge  Excavating  Large  Irrigation  Canal. 
Figure  97. 


View  of  Excavating  End  of  Ladder  Dredge  on  Irrigation  Work  in  Washington. 

Figure  98. 

of  timber  with  a  length  of  82  ft.,  a  width  of  30  ft.,  a  depth  of  6  ft. 
6  in.  and  drew  5  ft.  of  water.     Steam  was  furnished  by  two  locomotive 


LADDER  DREDGES 


213 


type  boilers,  44  in.  in  diameter  and  18  ft.  long  and  having  a  rated 
capacity  of  80  h. p.  The  main  drive  and  ladder  hoist  were  driven  by 
an  8-in.  by  i2-in.  double  horizontal  engine  of  70  h.p.  The  winch  ma- 
chinery for  operating  the  spuds  and  swinging  the  dredge  was  driven  by 
a  two-cylinder  6-in.  by  6-in.,  double  horizontal  engine  of  20  h.p.  The 
belt  conveyors  were  operated  by  two  y-in.  by  lo-in.  single-cylinder, 
center-crank,  horizontal  engines  of  18  h.p.  A  No.  i  Hendy  hydraulic 
giant  was  mounted  on  the  bow  of  the  dredge  and  water  was  forced 
through  it  by  a  two-stage,  6-in  centrifugal  pump  belted  to  a  lo-in. 
by  i2-in.  single-cylinder  upright  engine  of  80  h.p.  This  giant  or  mon- 
itor was  used  to  remove  banks  above  the  water  level  and  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  buckets.  Two  belt  conveyors,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
dredge,  were  used  for  the  disposal  of  the  excavated  material.  Each 
conveyor  was  72  ft.  long  and  consisted  of  a  steel  framework  supporting 
a  7-ply  32-in3  rubber  conveying  belt.  Fig.  97  shows  the  dredge  in 
operation  with  a  high  bank  on  one  side.  A  near  view  of  the  bow 
showing  the  details  of  construction  is  given  in  Fig.  98. 

The  operating  force  consisted  of  eight  men  and  four  horses.     The 
following  scale  of  wages  was  paid: 

Superintendent,  per  day,  $7.50 

Operator,  per  day,  5 .  oo 

Engineer,  per  day,  4.67 

Spudman,  per  day,  3 . 83 

Fireman,  per  day,  3 . 33 

Oiler,  per  day,  3 .  oo 

Deckman,  per  day,  2 . 50 

Man  and  team,  per  day,  4 . 50 

TABLE  XXII 
COST  OP  CANAL   EXCAVATION  WITH   LADDER  DREDGE 


Item 

Total 
excavation 

Total 
cost 

Cost  per 
cu.  yd. 

Labor,  dredge                   

yjy>/^>5  *-"•  >u- 

$26,960.63 

$0.029 

Labor  spoil  banks 

31,159.06 

0.034 

Fuel 

33,043.07 

0.036 

Plant  maintenance 

52,327.40 

0.057 

Plant  depreciation  

4i,432.S3 

0.045 

Total                         

$184,922.69 

$0.201 

Engineering  and  administration  .... 

28,154-41 

0.031 

Grand  total                      

$213,077.10 

$0.232 

214  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

The  maximum  excavation  per  eight-hour  shift  was  1,429  cu.  yd. 

The  average  excavation  per  eight-hour  shift  was  557.9  cu.  yd. 

The  maximum  excavation  per  week  was  17,644  cu.  yd.  for  the 
week  ending  June  28,  1911,  working  three  eight-hour  shifts. 

The  average  excavation  per  actual  working  hour  was  128.7  cu. 
yd.  The  per  cent,  of  lost  time  was  49,  made-up  of  moving  as  10 
per  cent,  and  of  repairs  and  miscellaneous  as  39  per  cent. 

8ie.  Use  on  Fox  River,  Wisconsin.1 — A  ladder  dredge,  built  by 
the  Bucyrus  Company  of  South  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  was  used  by  the 
U.  S.  Government  for  dredging  of  the  channel  of  the  Fox  River  in 


Ladder  Dredge  operating  on  Fox  River,  Wisconsin. 
Figure  99. 


Wisconsin.  The  plant  consisted  of  a  dredge  with  two  intermediate 
and  one  delivery  scow,  which  were  operated  either  in  line  or  with- 
out the  use  of  one  or  both  of  the  intermediate  scows.  Fig.  99  gives 
a  general  view  of  the  plant  in  operation. 

The  dredge  was  a  regular  elevator  dredge,  equipped  with  a  chain 
of  39  buckets  of  5-ft.  capacity  each.  The  buckets  were  provided 
with  steel  teeth,  and  excavated  hard  material  up  to  a  depth  of  10  ft. 
One  stern  spud  provided  a  pivot  about  which  the  dredge  could 
swing  through  a  radius  of  So  ft,  and  covering  a  channel  width  of 
145  ft. 

The  bucket  chain  was  driven  by  a  9-in  by  12 -in  double  reversing 
engine,  by  gearing,  which  also  operated  the  ladder  hoist.  A  six- 
drum  winch,  driven  by  a  6-in.  by  6-in.  double-cylinder  engine, 
was  used  to  operate  the  anchor,  spud  lines,  etc.  A  walking  spud 
operated  by  a  steam  cylinder  was  used  to  move  the  dredge.  The 
belt  conveyors  on  the  dredge  and  the  scows  were  operated  by  elec- 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering  News,  October  25,  1906. 


LADDER  DREDGES  215 

trie  motors  supplied  with  current  from  a  35-kw.  electric  generator, 
driven  by  a  lo-in.  by  ic-in.  engine  on  the  dredge.  This  generator 
also  supplied  current  for  lighting  the  plant  and  power  to  a  6-in. 
spray  pump  for  cleaning  the  belts.  Steam  was  furnished  by  a 
Scotch-marine  boiler  9  ft.  in  diameter  and  10  ft.  in  length,  water- 
back  type  and  equipped  with  two  Adamson  furnaces  35  in.  in 
diameter.  The  delivery  scow  was  provided  with  a  winch  operated 
by  an  electric  motor  and  used  for  operating  the  anchor  lines,  gantry 
and  spud. 

The  hulls  were  built  of  Oregon  fir  and  strongly  braced  and  bolted 
together.     The  dredge  was  75  ft.  long,  31  ft.  wide  and  6  ft.  deep. 


View  of  Excavating  End  of  Elevator  Dredge  on  Fox  River,  Wisconsin. 

Figure  100. 


Quarters  for  the  crew  were  provided  on  the  upper  deck,  where  the 
pilot  house  was  also  located,  whence  the  operator  had  complete 
control  of  the  operation  of  the  plant  and  from  which  a  view  of  the 
whole  work  was  afforded.  Fig.  100  offers  a  general  view  of  the 
dredge. 

The  intermediate  scows  were  40  ft.  long,  16  ft.  wide  and  3  ft  deep, 
each  carrying  a  belt  conveyor  65  ft.  long.  The  delivery  scow  was 
trapezoidal  in  shape,  having  a  length  of  31  ft.  4  in.,  16  ft.  4  in.  wide 
and  2  ft.  deep  at  the  receiving  end  and  33  ft.  4  in.  wide  and  4  ft.  deep 


216  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

at  the  delivery  end.  The  hull  was  given  this  shape  so  as  to  support 
the  overhanging  load  of  the  delivery  conveyor  and  to  secure  a 
greater  angle  of  gyration  when  the  scow  is  attached  to  the  dredge. 

The  capacity  of  the  dredge  averaged  200  cu.  yd.  per  hour  in  tough 
clay  and  hard  pan  under  adverse  conditions.  The  preliminary 
test  showed  a  capacity  of  400  cu.  yd.  per  hour  in  ordinary  soil  under 
favorable  conditions.  Most  of  the  water  raised  by  the  buckets  was 
lost  on  the  conveyors  and  the  excavated  material  was  deposited  along 
the  banks  in  a  nearly  solid  condition.  The  crew  of  the  plant  con- 
sisted of  nine  men  and  the  cost  of  operation  averaged  about  $30  per 
day. 

82.  Resume. — The  elevator  dredge  has  been  universally  used  in 
Europe  for  harbor  and  canal  excavation  and  was  largely  used  on  the 
Suez  Canal  and  the  Panama  Canal  under  the  French  regime.  In 
this  country  it  has  not  been  used  to  a  great  extent  on  account  of  the 
large  initial  cost  of  the  plant. 

The  elevator  dredge  has  generally  been  regarded  as  an  excavator 
for  soft  material,  but  recent  experience  shows  that  it  is  very  effi- 
cient in  the  excavation  of  hard  materials,  such  as  indurated  clay, 
cemented  gravel,  hard  pan  and  the  softer  stratified  rocks.  Where 
the  dredge  has  width  of  channel  sufficient  to  breast  from  side  to 
side,  it  can  work  to  advantage.  But  where  the  channel  is  restricted 
as  in  the  smaller  canals  or  ditches,  the  dipper  dredge  is  the  more 
useful.  The  elevator  dredge  is  most  efficient  in  large  canal,  river, 
and  harbor  work,  where  there  are  broad  reaches  and  a  large  amount 
of  hard  material  to  be  removed. 

The  elevator  dredge  cannot  be  used  economically  on  the  ex- 
cavation of  ditches  and  canals  for  irrigation  and  drainage  systems. 
These  channels  are  generally  too  narrow  for  a  dredge  of  this  type 
to  properly  maneuver.  Where  the  banks  are  high,  difficulty  is 
experienced  in  depositing  the  material.  When  the  banks  are  low, 
dykes  or  bulkheads  must  be  erected  to  prevent  the  soft  material 
from  running  back  into  the  channel  or  over  adjacent  land.  Usually 
the  sides  of  the  channel  must  be  sloped  and  this  requires  the  raising 
and  lowering  of  the  bucket  chain  as  the  machine  is  breasting  over 
the  portion  to  be  sloped.  The  deposition  of  the  excavated  material 
in  uniform  spoil  banks  along  the  sides  of  the  channel  is  not  easily 
done  with  a  ladder  dredge.  The  material  is  too  wet  to  remain  in 
place  and  the  belt  conveyors  are  troublesome  to  adjust  and  keep 
in  good  running  condition. 

As  elevator  dredges  are  built  to  meet  special  conditions,  it  is  im- 


LOBNITZ  ROCK  CUTTER 


217 


possible  to  give  any  definite  rules  as  regards  their  capacities  and 
cost  of  operation. 

84.  Lobnitz  Rock  Excavator. — For  the  excavation  of  rock  and 


Side  Elevation  and  Cross-section  of  Lobnitz  Rock  Cutter. 
Figure  101. 

hard  pan,  it  is  necessary  to  break  up  the  material  before  the  ladder 
dredge  can  remove  it.  Blasting  has  generally  been  resorted  to, 
but  in  recent  years  a  rock  cutter  has  been  used.  This  cutter  was 


Plan  of  Lobnitz  Rock  Cutter. 
Figure  102. 


invented  and  is  made  by  Messrs.  Lobnitz  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  of  Renfrew, 
Scotland. 
The  Lobnitz  rock  cutter  consists  of  a  heavy  chisel  of  steel,  weighing 


218  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

from  4  to  15  tons  and  provided  with  a  hardened  steel,  cutting  point. 
The  chisel  is  raised  to  a  height  of  from  5  to  10  ft.  and  then  allowed  to 
fall  vertically  upon  the  surface  of  the  hard  material,  which  is  thereby 
splintered  and  disintegrated  sufficiently  to  permit  its  removal  by  the 
buckets  of  the  ladder.  The  cutter  is  capable  of  breaking  up  the 
hardest  rock  in  layers  3  ft.  thick,  at  a  time.  The  apparatus  is  often 
separately  mounted  on  a  hull,  composed  of  two  barges  rigidly  connected 
by  cross  girders.  See  Figs.  101  and  102. 

The  Lobnitz  rock  cutter  has  been  used  directly  in  connection  with  a 
ladder  dredge  by  placing  several  picks  or  chisels  in  a  well  alongside  of 
the  ladder.  These  chisels  are  spaced  about  2  ft.  apart  and  can  be 
operated  singly  or  in  unison.  The  picks  or  chisels  are  in  this  case 
generally  made  of  heavy  timbers,  iron  shod  and  provided  with  hardend 
steel  points.  The  rock  when  broken  up  is  raised  by  the  buckets, 
which  are  made  especially  heavy  and  strong  for  this  kind  of  work. 
With  a  lo-pick  ladder  dredge,  an  excavation  of  43  tons  of  hard  rock 
per  hour,  has  been  made.  Figs.  101  and  102  show  the  details  of  con- 
struction of  a  Lobnitz  rock-cutting  machine. 

85.  Drill  Boats. — The  Lobnitz  rock  drill  with  its  slow-acting  well 
and  drop  drill  has  been  found  not  competent  to  meet  the  American 
requirements  of  a  great  lifting  and  striking  power  combined  with  a 
large  number  of  blows.  Hence,  the  manufacturers  of  this  country 
have  devised  the  steam-actuated  percussion  drills  with  the  drill  steel 
forming  an  extension  of  the  piston  rod. 

The  drill  boat  consists  of  a  barge  or  scow  with  a  spud  at  each  corner 
to  support  it  upon  the  rock,  which  is  being  drilled.  These  four  spuds 
or  columns  are  each  operated  by  a  pair  of  independent  engines  geared 
to  a  rack  on  each  spud.  When  the  drills  are  working  these  spuds  are 
forced  down  until  the  barge  is  raised  above  the  height  of  normal 
flotation.  This  elevation  of  the  barge  is  maintained  by  the  automatic 
regulation  of  the  steam  pressure  in  the  spud  engines. 

The  drills  are  steam-operated  percussion  drills,  similar  in  design  and 
operation  to  the  ordinary  steam  or  compressed-air  operated  drills  used 
on  land.  The  piston  diameter  is  from  5^  to  6j  in.  and  the  drills  are 
mounted  on  movable  steel  towers.  The  latter  run  on  tracks  along  the 
side  of  the  barge  and  are  provided  with  vertical  guides  from  15  to  30  ft. 
in  length.  The  drills  may  be  raised  or  lowered  along  these  guides.* 
The  feed  of  the  drill  is  controlled  by  hydraulic  plungers  having  a  stroke 
the  length  of  the  guides  and  moved  by  long  screws  operated  by  small 
steam  engines.  The  towers  are  moved  along  the  tracks  by  steam  or 
hydraulic  power. 


DRILL  BOATS  219 

In  tidal  waters  or  streams  where  the  water  level  is  continually 
changing  and  of  large  range,  the  steel  towers  are  replaced  by  a  steel 
column  which  rests  directly  on  the  surface  of  the  rock.  This  column 
carries  the  drill  and  its  mechanism  and  is  held  in  position  by  guides 
which  permit  of  the  vertical  motion  of  the  barge  as  the  water  level 
changes.  The  guides  are  carried  on  a  track  along  the  side  of  the  barge. 
This  construction  makes  the  drill  independent  of  any  motion  of  the 
barge. 

8sa.  Use  on  St.  Lawrence  River,  Canada.1 — A  drill  boat  was  used  in 
the  excavation  of  a  ship  channel  through  the  Galops  Rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence  River. 

The  work  consisted  in  the  removal  of  a  very  hard  limestone  rock  in 
strata  of  from  20  to  30  in.  thick,  by  submarine  drilling  and  blasting, 
to  form  a  channel  200  ft.  wide  and  17  ft.  deep.  The  Rapids  have  a 
current  of  from  8  to  12  miles  an  hour  and  form  an  area  of  turbulent 
water,  full  of  strong  eddies,  across  currents  and  breakers.  The  shoal 
water  was  drilled  to  a  length  of  1,800  ft. 

The  drill  boat  carried  four  5-in.  drills  and  was  supported  by  four 
2o-in.  by  2o-in.  power  controlled  spuds  and  gear.  Drums  operated 
five  ii-in.  breasting  chains,  one  leading  upstream  and  two  over  each 
side.  Each  chain  was  attached  to  an  anchor  weighing  about  a  ton. 
This  chain  weighed  84  Ib.  per  fathom  and  tested  to  44  tons  breaking 
load. 

The  drilling  was  done  through  four  slots,  each  20  ft.  long  and  18  in. 
wide  and  located  in  the  forward  part  of  the  barge.  The  drill  frames 
carrying  the  steel  drill  spuds  with  pipe  guides  for  the  drill  bars,  were 
arranged  to  be  moved  the  length  of  the  wells.  This  allowed  each  drill 
to  make  a  number  of  holes  at  each  set-up  of  the  barge.  Holes  were 
drilled  and  blasted  in  groups  of  four.  The  rock  was  drilled  below 
grade  to  a  depth  equal  to  half  the  distance  the  holes  were  apart,  the 
maximum  spacing  being  6  ft.  on  centers.  The  weight  of  dynamite 
used  was  equivalent  to  i  Ib.  of  nitro-glycerine  per  cubic  yard  of  rock, 
measuring  from  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  This  rule  produced  uniformly 
satisfactory  results.  Allowance  was  made  for  the  payment  for  excava- 
tion below  the  specified  grade  line,  as  it  was  impossible  to  perform 
accurate  work  under  the  unusually  severe  conditions.  The  amount  of 
the  excavation  paid  for  below  grade  was  25  per  cent,  of  the 
total. 

The  monthly  cost  of  operation  is  given  in  the  following  table: 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering- Contracting,  April  24,  1912. 


220  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

Labor: 

i  captain,  $100.00 
4  drillers,  @  $75,  300.00 

4  helpers,  @  $30,  120.00 

i  fireman,  30.00 

i  machinist,  65  .  oo 

i  blacksmith,  70.00 

i  helper,  30.00 

4  blaster,  60.00 

i  helper,  35  .00 

i  cook,  30.00 


Total  labor,  $840.00 

Board  and  Lodging: 

16  men  @  $12,  $192.00 

Fuel  and  Supplies: 

60  tons  of  coal  @  $4, 
Oil  and  waste, 
Blacksmith's  coal, 
Steel,  iron  and  supplies, 

Total  fuel  and  supplies,  $347.00 


Grand  total,  $1,379.00 

Cost  of  drilling,  $i . 105  per  drill  hour. 

Cost  of  drilling,  $0.049  Per  foot  drilled. 

Average  depth  of  drilling  per  hour,  2.25  ft. 
Depth  of  drilling  varied  from  o  to  n  ft. 

8sb.  Use  in  New  York. — The  following  table  gives  a  statement  of 
the  use  of  two  drill  boats  in  submarine  rock  removal  in  Black  Rock 
Harbor,  Buffalo,  New  York.  This  work  has  been  in  progress  for  sev- 
eral .years  and  the  drill  boats  were  of  the  very  latest  design  and  of 
first-class  construction.  The  boats  each  were  equipped  with  five  .6^- 
in.  Ingersoll-Rand  Drills.  The  drill  holes  averaged  9  ft.  9  in.  in 
depth. 

Cubic  yards  drilled  and  blasted,  14,450 

Linear  feet  drilled,  15,224 

Linear  feet  per  shift  of  1 1  hours,  293 

Cubic  yards  per  shift,  278 

Cost  of  dynamite  per  cubic  yard,  *9-5    cents. 

Ccst  of  drilling  and  blasting  per  cubic  yard,          42 . 43  cents. 

Interest  and  depreciation    @  2  per  cent,  per  month 

on  plant  value,  $40,000,  per  cubic  yard,  5 . 94  cents. 


Total  cost  including  depreciation,  etc.,  67.87  cents. 


ROCK  EXCAVATORS  221 

For  drill  holes  having  average  depth  of  3  ft.  6  in. 

Cubic  yards  drilled  and  blasted,  333 

Linear  feet  drilled,  3,480 

Linear  feet  drilled  per  shaft,  154.5 

Cubic  yards  per  shift,  148 

Cost  of  dynamite  per  cubic  yard,  36.  i    cents. 

Cost  of  drilling  and  blasting  per  cubic  yard,  45 . 33  cents. 

Interest  and  depreciation  @  2  per  cent,  per 
month  on  plant  value  of  $40,000,  per  cubic 
yard,  10.40  cents. 


Total  cost,  9J-83  cents. 

86.  Resume. — The  two  types  of  rock  crushers  are  very  efficient  for 
submarine- rock  drilling  and  compare  very  favorably  with  drilling  on 
land. 

The  Lobnitz  cutter  was  originally  used  in  connection  with  a  ladder 
dredge  for  the  removal  of  the  excavated  material.  Recently  the  cutter 
is  generally  mounted  on  an  independent  hull  and  the  loosened  rock 
raised  by  a  ladder  or  dipper  dredge. 

The  Lobnitz  cutter  works  most  efficiently  in  shallow  cuttings  of 
stratified,  easily  shattered  rock.  The  drill  boat  of  the  American  type 
reaches  its  highest  efficiency  in  the  drilling  of  hard  rock  to  depths 
greater  than  3  ft. 

87.  Bibliograpy. — For  further  information,  consult  the  following: 

BOOKS 

i.  Dredges  and  Dredging,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1911  by  D.  Van 
Nostrand,  New  York*.  Pages,  6  by  9  in.,  figures,  cost  $3. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

Ladder  Dredges. 

1.  Boom  Dredge  and  Conveyors,  H.  E.  Jeainu;  Memoires  de  la  Societe  des 
Ingenieures  Civils  de  France,  May,  1904.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

2.  Bucket  Dredges,  R.  Richter;  Zeitschrift  des  Vereines  Deutscher  Ingenieure; 
June  19,  1909.     Illustrated,  First  Part,  4,500  words. 

3.  Bucket  Dredging  Machine;  Engineering,  June  23,  1899.     Illustrated,  500 
words. 

4.  Construction  Work  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal;  Engineering 
News,  July  29,  1909. 

5.  Cost  of  Excavating  4,151,000  cu.  yd.  of  Material  with  51  Dipper  and  Bucket 
Dredges  in  1911;  Engineering-Contracting,  October  16,  1912. 

6.  A  Desirable  Method  of  Dredging  Channels  through  River  Bars,  S.  Max- 
inoff,  Transactions  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  December,  1903, 
and  January,  1904.     Illustrated,  4,300  words. 

7.  Double  Ladder   Dredger  for  the   Swansea   Harbor  Trust;   Engineering, 
London,  July  13,  1888. 


222  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

8.  The  Drainage  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  J.  B.  Body;  Engineering  Record 
August  10, 1901. 

9.  Dredges,  A.  Baril;  Revue  de  Mecanique,  March  31,  1907.     Illustrated, 
7,000  words. 

10.  Dredges  and  Dredging  Appliances,  Brysson  Cunningham;  Cassier's  Maga- 
zine, November,  1905.     Illustrated,  First  Part,  2,500  words. 

11.  The  Dredger  "Percy  Sanderson"  for  the  Danube  Regularison  Works; 
Engineering,  London,  August  9,  1895. 

12.  Dredges  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal;  The  Engineer,  London, 
September  22,  1911.     Illustrated,  2,000  words. 

13.  Dredging,  J.  J.  Webster;  Engineering,  London,  March  4,  1887. 

14.  Dredging  Appliances;  Cassier's  Magazine,  November,  1905. 

15.  Dredging  in  the  Mersey  Dock  Estate;  Engineering,  London,  May  30  and 
June  6,  1890. 

16.  Dredging  Machinery,  C.  H.  Holt;  De  Ingenieure,  November  30,  1901. 
4,000  words. 

17.  Dredging  Machinery,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Engineering,  London,  January 
7  and  14,  1887. 

18.  Dredging  Machines,  John  Bogart,  Engineering,  London,  August  9,  1902. 
5,600  words. 

19.  Dredging  Machine  for  the   Clarente;   Engineering,  London,   December 
2,  1895. 

20.  Dredging  Operations  and  Appliances,  J.  J.  Webster,  Engineering  News, 
July  16  and  23,  1887. 

21.  A  Dutch  Dredge  for  Australia;  The  Engineer,  London,  September  i,  1911. 
250  words. 

22.  Electrically  Driven  Ladder  Dredge;   Engineering,  London,   October  9, 
1896. 

23.  Electrically  Operated  Dredges,  R.  Richter,  Zeitschrift  des  Vereines  Deut- 
scher  Ingenieure,  June  12,  1909.     Illustrated,  First  Part,  3,300  words. 

24.  English  and  American  Dredging  Practice,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Engineering 
News,  March  19,  1896. 

25.  The  French  Bucket  Dredger  Bassure  de  Baas;  International  Marine  Engi- 
neering, May,  1912.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

26.  German  and  American  Electrically  Operated  Bucket  Dredges,  Hubert 
Hermanns;    Elektrische    Kraftbetriebe  und  Bahnen,  December  24,  1910.     Il- 
lustrated, 4,000  words. 

27.  The  "Hercules  Dredgers"  for  the  Panama  Canal;  Engineering  News, 
February  3,  1883. 

28.  Hopper  Dredger  "La  Puissante";  The  Engineer,  London,  September  7, 
1900.     Illustrated,  900  words. 

29.  Hopper  Dredger  on  the  Panama  Canal;  Engineering,  London,  October 
20, 1911. 

30.  Ladder  Dredge  on  the  Fox  River,  Wisconsin;  Engineering  News,  October 
25,  1906. 

31.  A  Large  Elevator  Dredge  for  Work  in  Boston  Harbor;  Engineering  News, 
January  27,  1910.     Illustrated,  800  words. 

32.  New  Bucket  Dredgers  for  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  Canal;  International  Marine 
Engineering,  May,  1910.     Illustrated,  2,500  words. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  223 

33.  New  Dredger  for  the  Clyde;  The  Engineer,  London,  April  27,   1905. 
Illustrated,  800  words. 

34.  The  New  Joinini  River  Dredge,  M.  Lidy;  Annales  des  Fonts  et  Chaussees, 
Vol.  VI,  1908. 

35.  Panama  Canal  Dredge  "Corozal,"  William  G.  Comber;  Engineering  News, 
January  25,  1912.     Illustrated,  2,500  words. 

36.  Petroleum  Driven  Dredge,  M.  Wender;  Annales  des  Ponts  et  Chaussees, 
i  Trimestre,  1901.     3,500  words. 

37.  Powerful  Dredger  for  Panama  Canal;  The  Engineer,  London,  October  20, 

191 1.  Illustrated,  400  words. 

38.  Recent   Dredge    Construction,    Paulmann   and   Blaum;    Zeitschrift   des 
Vereines  Deutscher  Ingenieure;  June  19,  1909.     Illustrated,  First  Part,  4,500 
words. 

39.  Recent  Improvements  in  Dredging  Machinery.     A.  W.  Robinson;  Engi- 
neering News,  December  4,  1886. 

40.  The  Sea-going  Bucket  Dredge,  Fedor  Solodoff,  A.  V.   Overbeeke;   Zeit- 
schrift des  Vereines  Deutscher  Ingenieure,  April  7,  1906.     Illustrated,  1,500 
words. 

41.  A  Sea-going  Bucket  Dredge,  Dr.  Alfred  Gradenwitz;  International  Marine 
Engineering,  November,  1907.     Illustrated,  1,600  words. 

42.  Stern  Delivery  Dredger  on  the  Leeds  and  Liverpool  Canal;  Engineering, 
London,  June  16, 1893. 

Rock  Excavators: 

1.  Current  Practice  in  Blasting  and  Dredging,  W.  L.  Saunders;  Engineering- 
Contracting,  April  24,  1912.     6,500  words. 

2.  The  Lobintz  Rock  Dredge;  Engineering  News,  January  16,  1889. 

3.  The  Method  of  Operating  a  Lobintz  Cutter  in  Canal  and  Harbor  Works, 
Lindon  Bates,  Jr.;  Engineering-Contracting,  December  18,  1907.     2,500  words. 

4.  Methods  and  Costs  of  Operating  Lobintz  Rock  Breakers  and  Drill  Boats 
on  the  Panama  Canal,  S.  B.  Williamson;  Engineering-Contracting,  May  29, 

1912.  1,500  words. 

5.  Methods  and  Costs  of  Rock  Excavation  in  the  Harbors  of  Aviales,  San 
Esteban  de  Praria  and  Port  de  Bilbao,  Spain;  Engineering- Contracting,  June 
19,  1912,  4,000  words. 

6.  Methods  of  Subaqeous  Rock  Excavation,  Buffalo  Harbor,  N.  Y;  Engineer- 
ing News,  July  6,  1905.     Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

7.  Methods  of  Submarine  Rock  Drilling  with  Drill  Boats,  with  Records  of 
Performance,  Detroit  River  Improvement;  Engineering-Contracting,  October 
9,  1912. 

8.  The  Operation  of  Rock  Breakers  at  Black  Rock  Harbor;  Engineering 
Record,  January  7,  1911. 

9.  Removal  of  Subaqeous  Rock  at  Blythe,  George  Duncan  McGlashan;  Trans- 
actions of  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  1907.     Illustrated,  4,000  words. 

10.  A  Review  of  Methods  Employed  for  Removing  Subaqeous  Rock,  Michael 
Koch;  Engineering-Contracting,  May  29,  1912.     3,000  words. 

11.  Rock  Excavation  by  Mechanical  Power  Instead  of  Explosions;  Engineer- 
ing News,  June  25, 1908.     2,200  words. 


224 


FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 


12.  A    Subaqeous    Rock-cutter    Dredger,    Benjamin    Taylor;    International 
Marine  Engineering,  April,  1908.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

13.  Subaqeous  Rock  Removal,  B.  Cunningham;  Cassier's  Magazine,  March, 
1908.     Illustrated,  2,500  words. 

14.  A  Submarine  Rock  Excavator,  Charles  Graham  Hepburn;  Proceedings 
of  the  Institution  of  Civil  Engineers,  1906.     Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

C.    HYDRAULIC  OR  SUCTION  DREDGES 

90.  Field  of  Work. — In  recent  years,  the  vast  improvements  in  the 
rivers  and  harbors  of  this  country  have  led  to  the  development  of  the 
hydraulic  dredge.     The  reclamation  of  the  great  tidal  marshes  and 
the  removal  of  sand  bars  along  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Coasts  and 
the  cleaning  out  of  channels  in  the  Mississippi  River  are  being  con- 
stantly carried  on  by  large  dredges,  which  are  largely  under  govern- 
ment supervision.     The  best  field  for  this  type  of  dredge  is  the  re- 
moval of  soft  material  such  as  sand,  silt  and  loose  clay.     It  does  not 
work  well  in  hard  material  or  where  there  are  stumps,  stones,  logs  or 
similar  obstructions. 

91.  General  Description. — The  essential  parts  of  a  hydraulic  dredge 
are  a  centrifugal  pump  and  the  power  to  drive  it,  all  of  which  are  suit- 


Side  View  of  Hydraulic  Dredge. 
Figure  103. 

ably  mounted  on  a  floating  barge  or  hull.  Attached  to  the  pump  is  the 
suction  pipe  with  a  flexible,  movable  joint,  so  that  the  lower  or  outer 
end  can  be  raised  and  lowered  to  any  desirable  depth.  In  some  types 
of  dredges  a  horizontal  range  is  secured  by  swinging  the  hull  of  the 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 


dredge  from  side  to  side  by  means  of 
lines  attached  to  shore  anchors.  In  the 
Von  Schmidt  type  of  hydraulic  dredge, 
the  suction  pipe  which  extends  from  the 
end  of  the  hull  is  placed  on  a  table  which 
rotates  on  a  circular  track.  By  rotating 
the  table  the  suction  pipe  may  be  re- 
volved through  an  angle  of  120  degrees. 
The  pipe  is  made  of  wrought  iron  or 
steel,  in  sections  which  can  be  tele- 
scoped; the  lower  and  smaller  sections 
sliding  up  into  the  upper  and  larger  ones. 
At  the  lower  end  of  the  suction  pipe  is 
placed  the  mouth  pipe,  which  consists  of 
a  circular  hood.  On  the  periphery  of 
this  hood  are  generally  placed  a  series 
of  knives,  which  form  a  revolving  cut- 
ter. This  is  made  to  revolve  by  a 
shaft  and  gearing  as  shown  in  Figs.  109 
and  in. 

By  use  of  the  cutter  the  material  to 
be  excavated  is  loosened  up  and  dis- 
integrated and  by  dilution  with  the  water 
is  readily  sucked  up  by  the  pump,  through 
the  suction  pipe.  The  cutters  thus 
allow  the  use  of  this  type  of  dredge  in 
the  excavation  of  a  very  stiff  or  hard 
clay.  A  water  jet  has  in  some  cases 
been  used  to  remove  and  dissolve  the 
material  at  the  end  of  the  suction  pipe, 
but  this  detail  has  recently  been  chiefly 
supplanted  by  the  revolving  cutter. 

Figures  103  and  104  show  the  detail 
design  of  a  standard  15-  to  i6-in.  hy- 
draulic dredge  made  by  the  Norbom 
Engineering  Company  of  Philadelphia, 
Pa. 


225 


15 


Plan  of  Hydraulic  Dredge. 
Figure  104. 


226  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

PUMP 

The  most  important  element  in  the  construction  of  a  hydraulic 
dredge  is  the  pump,  which  draws  the  excavated  material  up  through 
the  suction  pipe  and  then  discharges  it  through  the  discharge  pipe 
to  barges  or  to  spoil  banks  on  the  shore.  The  pump  is  the  governing 
factor  in  determining  the  efficiency  of  a  dredge.  The  centrifugal 
pump  is  used  exclusively  for  this  work  on  account  of  its  being  of  a 
rough  and  adaptable  type  of  construction  and  range  and  ease  of 
operation.  Where  large  quantities  of  solid  material  pass  through 
the  pump  (as  high  as  70  per  cent,  solids  are  often  pumped)  it  is  neces- 
sary to  use  a  pump  which  does  not  require  close  adjustment  of  parts 
and  where  the  parts  are  few  in  number,  simple  in  operation  and 
easy  of  replacement. 

A  centrifugal  pump  consists  of  a  shell  of  circular  form  with  two 
apertures,  one  on  the  periphery,  the  other  at  the  center  of  one  side. 
Inside  this  shell  or  outer  casing  revolves  a  set  of  vanes  mounted  on 
a  shaft  which  extends  transversely  through  the  center  of  the  casing. 
These  vanes  are  the  only  part  of  the  pump  subject  to  great  wear 
and  the  casing  is  generally  constructed  in  two  sections  so  that  the 
top  half  can  be  removed  and  the  shaft  and  runner  taken  out.  In 
the  so-called  Edwards  Cataract  Pump,  provision  is  made  for  the 
repair  of  the  runner  in  the  following  manner.  The  vanes  are  made 
in  two  parts;  the  inner  section,  which  is  made  as  a  part  of  the  shaft 
and  extends  two-thirds  of  the  distance  from  the  shaft  to  the  inside 
of  the  casing,  and  the  outer  section,  which  is  a  piece  of  metal  bolted 
to  the  inner  section  and  forming  an  extension  to  the  vane.  The 
bolts  pass  through  slots  in  the  extension  plate  and  this  allows  the 
plate  to  be  forced  to  one  side  or  bent  away  from  a  heavy  body  (such 
as  a  stone  or  piece  of  metal)  which  may  come  in  contact  with  it. 
This  prevents  the  breakage  of  the  runner  as  a  whole.  The  plates 
are  made  of  light  iron  and  can  be  easily  replaced  at  a  small  cost  by 
the  removal  of  a  hand-hole  cover  on  the  casing  and  the  bolting  on 
of  a  new  plate.  The  opening  in  the  periphery  of  the  casing  is  the 
admission  orifice  to  which  the  suction  pipe  is  attached  and  through 
which  the  material  enters  to  the  casing.  The  steel  suction  pipe  is 
generally  15  in.  to  30  in.  in  diameter  and  varies  in  length  from  10  to 
60  ft.  To  the  side  opening  of  the  casing  is  attached  the  discharge 
pipe,  which  varies  in  diameter  from  6  to  48  in.  The  following  table 
gives  the  sizes  and  nominal  capacities  of  a  type  of  centrif  uga  1  pump 
especially  made  for  dredging. 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 


227 


TABLE    XXIII 
SIZES  OP  CENTRIFUGAL  PUMPS 


Diameter  of 

Capacity,  gallons 

Capacity,  cubic 

Horse-power    re- 

discharge, 

per 

feet  per 

quired  for  each  foot 

inches 

minute 

second 

of   total   head 

6 

880 

1.965 

0.446 

8 

1,565 

3-495 

0.794 

10 

2,450 

5-45 

1.  192 

12 

3,525 

7.85 

1-655 

15 

5,5oo 

12.25 

2.49 

18 

7,920 

17-65 

3-47 

20 

9,780 

21.8 

4.14 

24 

14,100 

3x-4 

5-75 

30 

22,000 

49-0 

8.71 

36 

31,700 

70.7 

12.  18 

42 

43,200 

96.  2 

16.  10 

48 

56,350 

125-5 

20.45 

The  above  capacities  and  horse-power  are  based  upon  a  velocity  of 
discharge  of  10  ft.  per  second.  For  other  velocities  the  capacities 
would  be  in  proportion.  Fig.  105. shows  a  2o-in.  centrifugal  pump 
of  the  type  used  on  the  hydraulic  dredges  operating  on  the  New 
York  State  Barge  Canal. 

ENGINES 

The  pump  of  a  hydraulic  dredge  is  generally  direct  connected 
to  a  steam  engine  of  the  vertical,  marine  type.  For  the  small 
sizes  and  capacities  compound  engines  are  used,  but  where  the  en- 
gines are  designed  for  hard  service  and  to  operate  against  high 
heads,  the  triple-expansion  type  is  used.  All  marine  engines  for 
pumping  service  should  be  in  excess  of  the  requirements.  They 
should  be  provided  with  extra  large  bearing  surfaces  and  with 
an  automatic  sight-feed  oil  service  which  will  allow  for  continuous 
operation.  The  crank  shaft  should  be  forged  out  of  one  piece  of 
steel  and  especial  care  taken  in  the  welding  of  the  vanes  at  their 
junction  with  the  shaft.  The  size  and  constructional  details  of  the 
engine  used  depend  on  the  size  of  the  dredge  and  the  work  to  be 
done.  Further  detailed  information  concerning  engines,  as  well 
as  the  other  parts  of  a  hydraulic  dredge  will  be  given  later  in  the 
descriptions  of  some  hydraulic  dredges  and  their  work. 


228 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


Centrifugal  Pump  of  Hydraulic  Dredge. 
Figure  105. 


Machinery  of  Hydraulic  Dredge. 
Figure  106. 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES  229 

Figure  106  shows  the  winch  machinery  of  a  2o-in.  Bucyrus  hy- 
draulic dredge,  used  for  hoisting  the  spuds,  raising  the  ladder, 
swinging  the  dredge,  etc. 

HULL 

The  hull  of  a  hydraulic  dredge  is  rectangular  in  shape  and  with 
a  length  of  about  3!  times  the  width.  The  draft  is  made  as  small 
as  possible  and  generally  varies  from  3  to  9  ft.  This  requires  a  depth 
of  hull  varying  from  6  to  15  ft.  The  size  of  the  hull  depends  on  the 
capacity  of  the  dredge.  The  hulls  are  constructed  of  both  steel  and 
wood,  but  experience  has  shown  that  steel  is  preferable  on  account 
of  its  greater  strength,  less  cost  of  maintenance,  and  its  ability  to 
withstand  the  pounding  and  vibratory  strains  of  the  machinery. 
Cross  frames  of  steel  or  wood  are  spaced  from  ij  to  i\  ft.  on  centers 
and  connect  the  keelsons  and  deck  beams.  The  framework  is 
covered  with  steel  plates  or  heavy  wooden  planking.  The  machin- 
ery is  generally  placed  on  a  lower  deck,  while  a  superstructure  or 
deck  house  extends  over  the  greater  part  of  the  length  and  contains 
the  living  quarters  for  the  crew  and  the  operating  house  at  the  for- 
ward end. 

SPUD  FRAME 

At  the  stern  is  placed  a  trapezoidal-shaped  frame  which  suspends 
two  vertical  spuds  by  means  of  sheaves  and  cables  leading  to 
the  engine  drums.  The  spuds  are  generally  single  timbers  of 
Douglas  fir,  long  leaf  pine  or  oak  and  are  of  sufficient  length  to 
reach  the  bottom  of  the  excavation  during  high  water. 

BOILER 

The  prime  mover  is  either  steam  or  electricity.  Steam  is  generated 
by  boilers  usually  of  the  Scotch  marine  type.  Where  electricity  is 
used  the  power  is  supplied  either  from  a  steam  engine  or  from  a  power 
station  independent  of  the  dredge.  The  latter  method  of  operation  is 
the  more  economical  and  the  more  convenient  to  use  when  the  dredge 
is  operating  near  a  steam  or  hydro-electric  power  plant. 

DISCHARGE  PIPE 

The  discharge  pipe  line  extends  from  the  pump  through  the  stern  of 
the  hull  and  consists  of  iron  or  steel  pipe  varying  in  diameter  from 
12  to  48  in.  The  pipe  is  supported  on  wooden  or  steel  pontoons,  and 
the  adjacent  sections  of  pipe  are  connected  by  heavy  rubber  sleeves 


230          FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 

fitting  over  the  bell-shaped  ends  of  the  pipe.  In  recently  built  dredges, 
the  joints  of  the  discharge  pipe  have  been  formed  into  an  iron  ball- 
and-socket  joint.  Longitudinal  and  lateral  stresses  are  controlled 
and  relieved  by  steel  springs,  arranged  somewhat  as  in  the  draft 
rigging  of  railway  cars.  Fig.  no  shows  a  discharge  pipe  of  a  dredge 
operating  on  the  New  York  Barge  Canal. 

In  order  to  give  the  reader  a  clearer  idea  of  the  detailed  construction 
of  hydraulic  dredges,  which  have  been  used  in  canal  excavation,  the 
following  descriptions  of  dredges  used  recently  on  the  N.  Y.  State 
Barge  Canal  and  for  the  reclamation  of  land  in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago, 
Illinois,  are  offered.  Space  in  this  chapter  does  not  allow  of  descrip- 
tions of  other  dredges  which  are  of  especial  interest  and  have  been 
highly  successful  in  river  and  harbor  work.  The  reader  is  urged  to 
read  carefully  the  exhaustive  paper  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Ockerson  on  "  Dredges 
and  Dredging  on  the  Mississippi  River,"  contained  in  the  Transactions 
of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  Vol.  XL  (December,  1898). 
A  condensed  resume  of  this  valuable  paper  is  given  in  Engineering 
News,  Vol.  XL,  No.  15  (October  13,  1898). 

9 1 a.  Use  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal. — During  1907  and  1908 
two  hydraulic  dredges  were  in  operation  near  Oneida  Lake,  New  York, 


Cutter  and  Suction  Pipe  of  Hydraulic  Dredge. 
Figure  107. 

in  the  construction  of  a  section  of  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal. 
These  dredges  were  the  "Oneida"  and  the  "Geyser"  and  each  will  be 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES  231 

described  separately  as  each  contained  many  individual  and  peculiar 
details,  although  they  were  both  very  similar  in  general  design. 

The  "Geyser"  was  provided  with  a  hull  having  a  length  of  96  ft., 
width  of  29  ft.,  and  drew  9  ft.  of  water.  The  dredge  was  so  constructed 
as  to  excavate  material  to  a  depth  of  19  ft.  below  the  water  surface  and 
discharge  the  excavated  material  through  the  pontoon  pipes,  at  a  dis- 
tance of  1,500  ft.  and  to  a  shore  elevation  of  25  ft.  above  water. 

At  the  bow  of  the  boat  a  steel  frame  of  trapezoidal  shape  supported 
the  suction  pipe  and  cutter  head,  the  driving  shaft  and  gearing.  See 
Fig.  107.  The  steel  girder  was  33  ft.  long  and  was  pivoted  at  the  inner 
end  on  one  side  of  the  elbow  of  the  suction  pipe  and  on  the  other  side 
by  a  hollow  pivot  through  which  the  cutter-shaft  is  driven  by  a  counter- 
shaft geared  to  a  65 -h  p.  engine  with  double  lo-in.  by  i2-in.  cylinders. 

The  pump  used  was  a  2o-in.  centrifugal,  direct  connected  to  a  triple 
expansion  engine  of  450  nominal  horse-power,  which  developed  on 
occasions  550  h.p.  on  overload.  The  pump  and  engine  were  placed 
near  the  center  of  the  hull.  The  steel  discharge  pipe  was  20  in.  in 
diameter  and  passed  back  on  the  port  side  to  the  stern  of  the  boat, 
where  a  valve  was  placed  to  prevent  backing  up  of  the  material.  The 
pipe  was  in  32-ft.  sections  and  was  supported  on  pontoons,  which  were 
heavy  water-tight  casks.  Heavy  rubber  sleeves  were  used  to  connect 
the  ends  of  the  sections  of  pipe. 

The  boiler  plant  consisted  of  two  B.  &  W.  water- tube  boilers,  having 
a  rated  horse-power  of  2#>,  and  used  at  about  i6o-lb.  pressure.  One 
duplex  pump  furnished  water  under  pressure  to  the  pump  stuffing  box 
and  cutter-head  bearing.  Two  other  duplex  pumps  were  used  to 
supply  the  boilers  directly  or  through  a  4oo-h.p.  feed-water  heater. 
The  pumps  were  arranged  to  take  suction  either  from  cold  water  or 
the  hot  well,  as  did  the  injectors,  one  of  which  was  used  with  each 
boiler. 

Electric  current  was  supplied  by  a  6-kw.  electric  generator  and 
furnished  light  for  night  work. 

The  hoisting  engine  was  provided  with  five  drums  and  was  operated 
by  a  double-cylinder  engine  of  45  h.p.  Upon  the  forward  shaft,  the 
drums  on  each  side  swung  the  dredge  and  the  center  drum  raised  or 
lowered  the  suction  ladder  or  boom.  The  two  rear  drums  operated 
the  two  spuds  at  the  stern  of  the  hull.  A  winch  head  was  placed  at  each 
side  of  the  deck  for  mooring  purposes.  The  pilot  or  operating  house 
was  placed  directly  over  the  engine  and  the  operator  by  means  of  12 
levers  had  complete  control  of  the  hoisting  and  lowering  of  the  ladder 
and  the  spuds,  the  swinging  of  the  dredge  and  the  speed  of  the  cutter. 


232 


FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 


"Oneida"  excavated  that  section  of  the  New  York  State  Barge 
Canal  commencing  at  the  junction  of  Fish  Creek  and  Oneida  Lake  and 
following  the  creek  valley  for  a  distance  of  about  5  miles. 

The  material  excavated  was  a  loose  sandy  loam  and  in  many  places 
large  quantities  of  quicksand  were  encountered.  The  depth  of  exca- 
vation at  Oneida  Lake  was  about  15  ft.  and  gradually  increased  to  25 
ft.  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  section. 


Hydraulic  Dredge  Operating  on  New  York  State  Barge  Canal. 
Figure  108. 

The  dredge  was  one  of  two  constructed  by  the  New  York  Ship- 
building Company  of  Camden,  N.  J.,  for  the  Empire  Engineering 
Corporation,  which  executed  two  contracts  on  the  canal  with  these  two 
excavators.  See  Fig.  108. 

The  hull  of  the  dredge  was  constructed  of  steel  and  had  an  overall 
length  of  97  ft.,  beam  width  of  17.5  ft.,  molded  depth  to  deck  of  10  ft., 
and  draft  of  5.5  ft.  The  general  shape  of  the  hull  was  that  of  a  huge 
rectangular  box  with  the  bilges  rounded  off.  The  frames  were  of 
3-in.  by  3-in.  by  i'V-in.  angles,  in  one  piece  from  keel  to  deck  and 
spaced  21  in.  c.  to  c.  The  reverse  frames  were  of  2j-in.  by  2^-in. 
by  J-in.  angles  and  followed  the  tops  of  the  10  by  f-in.  floor  plates, 
every  alternate  one  extending  to  the  deck  and  the  intermediate  one 
extending  to  the  lower  stringers.  The  deck  beams  were  4i-in.  by 
3-in.  by  f-in.  angles;  one  attached  to  each  frame  and  crowned  3  in.  in 

1  Quoted  from  Engineering  News,  December,  5,  1907. 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 


233 


the  center  of  the  vessel.  The  center  keelson  extended  the  full  length 
of  the  hull  and  intercostal  keelsons  were  used  at  the  main  engine 
foundations,  where  the  hull  was  very  strongly  braced.  The  covering 
of  the  hull  was  steel  plates  f  in.  thick. 

The  suction  pipes  were  two  in  number  and  were  made  of  steel 
plates  and  angles  having  a  bearing  on  their  upper  sides  for  the  cutter- 
shafts.  The  interior  diameter  of  these  pipes  was  ig|  in.,  thus  giving 
an  area  of  291  sq.  in.  The  suction  pipes  extended  from  the  centrifugal 
pump  to  the  cutters  at  the  outer  ends.  The  steel  plate,  intermediate 
lengths  of  suction  pipes,  were  connected  to  the  pump  by  cast-iron 
breech  pipes  bolted  to  the  pump  and  joined  the  pipes  by  heavy  steel 


Cutter  Heads  and  Suction  Pipes  of  Hydraulic  Dredge  Operating  on  New  York 

State  Barge  Canal. 
Figure  109. 


angle  flanges.  The  breech  pipes  were  connected  at  their  forward 
ends  to  two  Bates  curved  telescopic  joints,  the  movable  interior 
portions  of  which  were  bolted  to  the  upper  end  of  the  ladders.  These 
ladders  were  suspended  by  means  of  heavy  brackets  from  trunnions, 
the  axes  of  which  were  those  of  the  telescopic  joints.  The  cutter 
heads  were  mounted  around  and  concentrically  with  the  ends  of  the 
suction  pipes  and  were  5.5  ft.  in  diameter  and  3!  ft.  in  height.  Each 
cutter  was  composed  of  12  knives  of  manganese  steel,  J  in.  thick. 


234  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

The  cutters  and  ladders  were  raised  and  lowered  by  two  sets  of  blocks 
having  five  sheaves  in  each  block  and  using  f-in.  wire  rope.  The 
power  to  operate  the  ladders  was  furnished  by  two  independent, 
compound,  vertical,  reversing  engines  of  100  h.p.  each.  These 
engines  were  located  back  to  back  in  the  forward  engine  room.  In  the 
same  engine  room  were  located  a  service  pump,  electric  light  plant 
and  blower  engine.  The  service  pump  was  used  as  an  auxiliary  feed 
pump  and  discharged  to  the  boilers,  ladder  and  cutter-head  bearings, 
fire  service  pipes  and  over  board.  On  the  supply  of  suction  heads, 
it  was  connected  to  the  hot  well,  canal,  bilges  and  settling  tank. 
Fig.  109  shows  the  cutters. 

The  centrifugal  pump  was  located  in  the  after  engine  room  and 
was  provided  with  two  suctions  having  a  diameter  of  19!  in.  and  a 
discharge  of  26  in.  diameter.  The  casing  of  the  pump  was  made 
in  five  pieces;  a  throat  piece  containing  a  steel  knife,  two  upper  and 
two  lower  segments.  The  runner  was  of  cast  steel  and  had  a  diameter 
of  6J  ft. 

The  pump  was  direct  connected  to  a  triple-expansion  engine 
which  developed  750  h.p.  at  a  speed  of  165  r.p.m.,  cutting  off  steam 
in  the  H.  P.  cylinder  at  about  ^  of  the  stroke.  The  H.  P.  cylin- 
der had  a  diameter  of  17  in.,  the  I.  P.  cylinder  a  diameter  of  25  in. 
and  the  L.  P.  cylinder  a  diameter  of  42  in.  The  average  stroke 
was  24  in. 

A  separate  engine  was  used  to  operate  the  two  spuds  at  the  stern 
of  the  hull.  This  engine  was  of  the  horizontal  type  with  two  cylinders 
6|X8  in. 

Steam  was  supplied  from  two  standard  water-tube  boilers,  working 
at  2oo-lb.  pressure  and  having  a  combined  heating  surface  of  3,750 
sq.  ft.  and  a  grate  area  of  95  sq.  ft.  The  engine  was  compound 
geared  and  provided  with  reverse  link  motion.  The  drums  were 
1 8  in.  in  diameter  and  were  controlled  by  a  friction  hand  brake.  Flat 
cables,  3X|  in.  were  used  and  these  were  run  at  a  speed  of  40  ft.  per 
minute. 

On  the  forward  deck  of  the  dredge  was  placed  a  two-cylinder  steam 
winch  with  8jXio-in.  cylinders.  There  were  two  drums,  each 
having  a  diameter  of  18  in.  and  face  width  of  38  in.  to  hold  1,000  ft. 
of  f-in.  wire  rope  in  four  layers;  and  also  two  drums,  each  24  in.  in 
diameter  and  having  a  face  width  of  16  in.,  to  hold  400  ft.  of  f-in. 
wire  rope  in  three  layers. 

The  discharge  pipe  was  supported  on  16  intermediate  and  one 
terminal  pontoon.  It  was  also  found  necessary  at  times  to  use  two 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 


235 


pontoons,  each  6  ft.  wide,  one  on  each  side  of  the  dredge,  to  secure 
necessary  stability  while  in  operation.     See  Fig.  no. 

The  excavation  began  October  i,  1906  and  was  worked  one  eight- 
hour  shift  daily,  during  the  early  part  of  this  month.  Later,  two 
eight-hour  shifts  were  used  and  from  November,  1906  on,  three  eight- 
hour  shifts  were  used.  The  work  of  the  dredge  was  in  charge  of  a 
chief  engineer  and  a  chief  operator.  Following  is  the  labor  schedule 
for  each  eight-hour  shift. 


Discharge  Pipe  of  Hydraulic  Dredge. 
Figure  no. 


i  operator, 
i  engineer, 
i  engineer, 

3  firemen, 

i  spudman, 
i  oiler, 

4  deckhands, 


@  $100.00  per  month 

@  100.00  per  month 

@  80 .  oo  per  month 

@  70 .  oo  per  month  each 

@  60.00  per  month 

@  50.00  per  month 

@  50.00  per  month  each. 


Besides  the  above  force  was  a  gang  which  moved  the  discharge 
pipe  and  repaired  the  levees  along  the  canal  and  behind  which  the 
spoil  was  deposited.  An  engineer  or  operator  for  the  gasoline 
launch,  which  towed  the  fuel  scow,  and  a  night  watchman,  were 
also  constantly  employed. 

The  following  table  gives  the  labor  costs  of  excavation  for  this 
hydraulic  dredge  during  the  month  of  November,  1906: 


236 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


TABLE  XXIV. 
COST  OF  LABOR  FOR  HYDRAULIC  DREDGE 


Description 


No.  of  days 


Rate 


Amount 


i  chief  engineer  
i  chief  operator 

30 
30 

$150.00 

I  2  c    QO 

$150.00 

I  2  r    OO 

3  engineers  

86 

IOO    OO 

286  67 

3  engineers  
3  operators 

86 
86 

80.00 
IOO    OO 

229.33 

286  67 

9  firemen  
3  spudmen                 .                    .  . 

258 
86 

70.00 
60  oo 

602  .  oo 
172  oo 

3  oilers  

86 

SO.  OO 

14?  .  7? 

1  2  deckhands  
i  night  watchman  
i  foreman  
i  foreman 

344 
30 
34i 
37l 

50.00 
1.  60 

3.00 

2    OO 

573-33 
48.00 
102.75 

7C    eo 

Laborers  

1,056^ 

1.  60 

1,690.40 

i  engineer,  tug  

30 

80.00 

80.00 

$4,574.98 

Amount  of  excavated  material,  144,  882  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation,  $4, 574. 98-1-144,822  =$0.0316  per  cubic  yard. 

The  "laborers"  were  those  in  the  gang  employed  in  moving  the 
discharge  pipe  and  repairing  the  levees. 

gib.  Use  in  Chicago.1 — During  the  seasons  of  1907  and  1908, 
an  extension  to  Lincoln  Park  of  Chicago,  Illinois,  was  made  by 
filling  in  a  large  area  with  material  excavated  from  the  bed  of 
Lake  Michigan.  A  specially  designed  hydraulic  or  suction  dredge 
was  used.  The  material  excavated  was  a  stiff  blue  clay,  mixed 
with  gravel  and  stones.  Part  of  the  work  was  in  water  to  a  depth 
of  1 8  ft.  and  the  dredge  was  designed  exceptionally  strong  and 
seaworthy,  so  as  to  withstand  the  sudden  and  severe  storms  of  the 
Lake.  Fig.  112  gives  a  view  of  the  dredge  in  operation. 

The  hull  was  made  of  steel  and  had  an  overall  length  of  148  ft.,  a 
beam  width  of  38  ft.,  and  a  depth  of  loj  ft.  A  superstructure  or 
deck  house  extended  over  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  hull  and  a 
pilot  house  was  located  near  the  front  end  and  just  above  the  deck 
house. 

An  A-frame  boom  was  hinged  to  the  bow  of  the  hull  and  was 
stayed  back  to  a  vertical  fixed  A-frame,  placed  a  short  distance 

Quoted  from  Engineering  News,  February  27,  1908. 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 


237 


back  on  the  hull,  from  the  bow.  From  the  point  of  the  A-frame 
boom  by  means  of  sheaves  and  wire  rope,  was  suspended  the  steel 
ladder  frame,  which  carried  the  suction  pipe.  The  ladder  was  40  ft. 


View  of  Hydraulic  Dredge  showing  Cutter,  Cutter  Frame  and  Gantry  and  Spuds 

and  Spud  Gantry. 
Figure  in. 


Hydraulic  Dredge  Operating  in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago. 
Figure  112. 

long,  and  by  means  of  the  suction  pipe,  excavation  could  be  made  to 
a  depth  of  32  ft. 

A  large  gallows  frame,  at  the  stern  of  the  hull,  was  used  to  sus- 
pend the  two  spuds. 

The  centrifugal  pump  was  operated  by  a  triple-expansion  engine 


238 


FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 


of  1,200  h.p.     Steam  was  supplied  by  two  Scotch  Marine  boilers, 
nJXiS  ft.,  each  boiler  being  provided  with  four  furnaces. 

The  suction  pipe  had  a  diameter  of  30  in.  and  at  its  outer  end  a 
cutter  was  operated,  which  was  a  steel  casting  9  ft.  in  diameter  and 
weighing  9  tons.  It  was  made  up  of  eight  blades,  which  curved  out- 
ward and  backward  from  the  shaft  and  were  bolted  at  their  outer 
ends  to  a  circular  steel  plate.  The  blades  were  equipped  with 


Rear  View  of  Hydraulic  Dredge  Operating  in  Lincoln  Park,  Chicago. 
Figure  113. 

renewable  cutting  edges  of  hard  steel.  The  cutter  was  operated 
by  an  independent,  tandem  compound  engine  of  300  h.p. 

The  discharge  pipe  was  composed  of  riveted  steel  pipe  having 
a  diameter  of  30  in.  and  in  lengths  of  93  ft.  6  in.  The  adjacent 
sections  were  connected  by  specially  made  ball-and-socket  joints, 
provided  with  steel  springs  to  relieve  the  joints  from  lateral  and 
longitudinal  stresses.  Each  length  of  pipe  was  supported  between 
two  33-in.  cylindrical  steel  pontoons  about  100  ft.  long.  The  pipe 
line  and  pontoons  are  shown  in  Fig.  113. 

During  the  season  of  1907,  the  dredge  worked  122^  days  of  24 
hours  each,  and  the  total  excavation  was  457,242  cu.  yd.  The 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGES  239 

maximum  excavation  per  hour  was  866  cu.  yd.  and  the  average  was 
426  cu.  yd.  per  hour.  The  material  pumped  averaged  10  per  cent, 
of  solid  matter. 

92.  Electric  Power  for  Operation. — In  very  recent  years,  the 
remarkable  development  of  cheap  electric  power,  and  especially 
that  of  water-power,  has  led  to  the  use  of  electric  power  in  the  opera- 
tion of  dredges.  As  the  water-power  of  our  rivers  becomes  develop- 
ed and  as  the  power  facilities  of  the  cities  of  the  South  and  West 
are  increased  in  size  and  number,  it  will  be  found  to  be  more  econo- 
mical to  run  an  electric  transmission  line  to  the  scene  of  a  dredging 
project,  rather  than  to  haul  coal  or  oil  over  long  distances  and  bad 
roads  from  the  nearest  railroad  station. 

Q2a.  Use  in  Washington. — As  a  recent  example  of  the  use  of 
electric  power  in  the  operation  of  a  hydraulic  dredge,  the  following 
description  of  the  dredge  "Washington"  will  be  given. 

This  dredge  was  built  by  the  Tacoma  Dredging  Company  of  Ta- 
coma,  Washington,  for  the  dredging  out  of  the  Puyallup  River  in 
Tacoma  harbor.1 

The  dredge  was  operated  by  electric  power  taken  from  one  of 
the  60,000- volt,  6o-cycle,  three-phase  transmission  lines  of  the  Seattle 
Tacoma  Power  Company.  This  voltage  was  stepped  down  to  2,300 
volts  at  a  temporary  substation,  located  near  the  scene  of  the  work. 
From  the  substation  the  distributing  circuit  was  carried  on  a 
temporary  pole  line  along  the  water's  edge.  The  switchboard 
panel  in  the  pilot  house  of  the  dredge  was  connected  to  the  distribut- 
ing circuit  by  a  three-phase  flexible  cable,  of  sufficient  capacity  to 
transmit  electric  power  equivalent  to  a  total  of  1,500  h.p.  This 
cable  was  carried  along  the  discharge  pipe,  from  which  it  extended 
to  the  shore  line  at  convenient  points. 

The  electrical  equipment  of  the  dredge  provided  for  the  operation 
of  the  cutter,  the  spuds,  the  pump  and  the  several  auxiliaries. 

The  cutter  was  operated  by  a  wound  rotor  type,  i5o-h.p.,  2,300- volt, 
69o-r.p.m.,  semi-enclosed  motor.  A  drum  type  reversing  controller, 
with  gird  resistance,  was  used  to  operate  the  motor  from  the  pilot 
house.  The  motor  was  equipped  with  a  special  bearing  and  was  con- 
nected to  the  cutter  by  double  reduction  gearing.  The  whole  equip- 
ment was  designed  to  operate  at  the  angle  at  which  the  cutter  was 
operating,  the  normal  position  of  operation  being  at  an  angle  of  about 
45  degrees  with  the  horizontal. 

1  Quoted  from  the  Electric  Journal,  March,  1910. 


240  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

The  cutter  was  raised  and  lowered  by  a  direct-connected  hoist, 
which  was  driven  by  a  so-h.p.,  2 20- volt,  two-phase,  85o-r.p.m.,  wound 
rotor  type  motor.  This  motor  was  also  controlled  from  the  pilot  house 
by  a  drum  type  reversing  controller  with  gird  resistance. 

Two  large  timber,  iron-shod  spuds  were  located  in  the  stern  of  the 
dredge.  They  served  to  brace  the  dredge  as  the  cutter  moved  forward 
into  the  bed  of  the  stream.  By  raising  and  lowering  these  spuds 
alternately,  the  dredge  could Jbe  swung  in  an  arc  and  allow  the  cutting 
of  a  channel  40  to  50  ft.  wide  and  from  10  to  15  ft.  deep.  The  spuds 
were  operated  by  a  6o-h.p.,  2 20- volt,  wound  rotor  type  motor. 

The  main  suction  pump  was  of  the  single-runner  centrifugal  type, 
operating  at  a  speed  of  460  r.p.m.  It  was  located  about  amidships 
and  connected  by  a  rope  drive  to  two  5oo-h.p.,  2, 300- volt,  self-con- 
tained wound  rotor  type  motors.  The  two  motors  were  operated  in 
multiple  on  a  single  shaft. 

The  discharge  pipe  was  a  26-in.  diameter,  wooden-stave  pipe  and 
took  care  of  a  discharge  of  21,000  gal.  per  minute. 

Several  smaller  motors  of  the  squirrel-cage  type  were  used  for  the 
operation  of  small  auxiliaries,  such  as  a  lathe,  an  air  pump,  etc. 

This  dredge  was  in  operation  a  little  over  a  year  and  worked  very 
satisfactorily.  The  power  equipment  furnished  a  continuous  load  of 
from  900  to  1,250  h.p.  for  24  hours  a  day  and  seven  days  a  week.  The 
dredge  handled  30,000,000  gal.  of  a  heavy  solution  of  mud  and  water 
per  24-hour  day. 

93.  Resume. — The  hydraulic  dredge  has  been  in  use  during  the  past 
50  years.  For  many  years  its  use  was  restricted  to  the  removal  of  soft 
material  such  as  sand,  loose  gravel,  silt,  mud,  etc.  It  is  doubtless  the 
most  efficient  type  of  excavator  for  this  purpose  and  has  been  used 
generally  in  this  country  on  harbor  work,  on  the  Mississippi  River,  and 
for  the  filling  in  of  large  areas  of  waste  lands. 

Recently,  the  hydraulic  dredge  has  been  adapted  to  the  excavation 
of  hard  materials,  such  as  clay,  hard  gravel,  and  stiff  mud,  by  the  use  of 
a  cutter.  In  the  earlier  designs  the  cutter  head  was  simply  an  agitator 
to  stir  up  and  mix  the  loose  material  with  water,  so  that  it  could  be 
easily  drawn  into  and  up  through  the  suction  pipe.  The  present 
dredges  use  the  cutter  as  an  excavator  to  cut  and  loosen  the  harder 
material  and  force  it  into  the  suction  pipe. 

This  type  of  dredge  has  the  peculiar  advantage  of  being  able  to 
dispose  of  the  excavated  material  at  any  side  of  the  machine  and  at  a 
considerable  distance.  This  is  of  especial  value  in  the  filling  in  of  low 
waste  lands  along  rivers,  harbors  and  lakes. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  241 

The  hydraulic  dredge  is  not  an  economical  type  of  excavator  to  use 
in  canal  work  and  in  the  construction  of  levees.  The  material  as  it 
emerges  from  the  discharge  pipe  contains  so  large  a  proportion  of  water 
that  it  will  not  remain  in  place  unless  retained  behind  artificial  bulk- 
heads or  banks. 

The  capacity  of  and  cost  of  excavation  with  a  hydraulic  dredge 
depend  on  local  conditions.  The  dredge  is  generally  built  under 
special  requirements  and  there  are  no  general  rules  which  can  be  applied 
to  all  cases. 

94.  Bibliography. — For  additional  information,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  following: 

BOOKS 

i.  Dredges  and  Dredging,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1911  by  D.  Van 
Nostrand,  New  York.,  pages,  6  by  9  in.,  figures,  cost  $3. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 
Hydraulic  Dredges. 

1.  The  Bates  Dredge  for  Calcutta;  Engineering  Record,  June  9,  1900.    Illus- 
trated, 2,000  words. 

2.  The  Bates  Electrically  Driven  Hydraulic  Dredger;  International  Marine 
Engineering,  May,  1909.     Illustrated,  900  words. 

3.  "Beta,"  Hydraulic  Suction  Dredge  on  the  Mississippi,  Day  Allen  Willey; 
Scientific  American,  September  23,  1905.     Illustrated.     1,000  words. 

4.  The  Booth  Improved  Dredge  Pump;  Engineering  News,  March  26,  1892. 

5.  The  Burlington  Suction  Dredge;  Railway  Age  Gazette,  August  25,  1911. 
Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

6.  Clay  Cutting  Hydraulic  Dredger  for  the  River  Nile;  Engineering,  London, 
January  6,  1911.     Illustrated,  700  words. 

7.  The  Colorado  River  Silt  Problem,  the  Dredge  "Imperial"  and  Irrigation 
in  Imperial  Valley,  California,  F.  C.  Finkle;  Engineering  News,  December  f4, 
1911.     Illustrated,  5,000  words. 

8.  Combined  Bucket  and  Suction  Dredge;  Nautical  Gazette,  October  19,  1905. 
Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

9.  The  Cost  of  Hydraulic  Dredging  on  the  Mississippi  River,  Lieut.  Col.  C.  B. 
Sears;  Engineering  Record,  March  21,  1908.     1,200  words. 

10.  Cutting  Machinery  for   Suction   Dredgers;    Engineering,  London,    May 
23,  1902.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

11.  The  Danish  Suction  Dredge  Graadyb,  Axel  Holn;  International  Marine 
Engineering,  May,  1912.     300  words. 

12.  Design  of  Hulls  for  Hydraulic  Cutter  Dredges,  E.  H.  Percy;  International 
Marine  Engineering,  May,  1909.     1,700  words. 

13.  Dredger  and  Soil  Distributor  at  the  Manchester  Canal;  Engineering  News, 
September  5,  1891. 

14.  Dredgers  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal;  Engineering,  London, 
September  22,  1911. 

15.  Dredges,  A.  Baril;  Revue  de  Mecanique,  March  31,  1907. 

16.  Dredges,  R.  Masse;  Revue  de  Mecanique,  August,  1900.     3,500  words. 

16 


242  FLOATING  EXCAVATORS 

17.  Dredges  and  Dredging  in  Mobile  Harbor,  J.  M.  Pratt;  Engineering-Con- 
tracting, March  20,  1912.     4,500  words. 

18.  Dredges  and  Dredging  on  the  Mississippi  River.     J.  A.  Ockerson;  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  June,  1898.     Illustrated, 
28,300  words. 

19.  Dredging  by  Hydraulic  Method,  G.  W.  Catt;  Iowa  Engineer,  March, 
1905.     Illustrated,  3,500  words. 

20.  Dredging  in  New  South  Wales,  Cecil  West  Dailey;  Engineering,  London, 
June,  1903.     1,200  words. 

21.  Dredging  Machinery,  C.  H.  Hoist;  Le  Ingenieur,  November  30,  1901. 
4,000  words. 

22.  Dredging  Machinery,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Engineering,  London.  January  7 
and  14,  1887. 

23.  Dredging  Machines,  John  Bogart;  Engineering,  London,  August  29,  1902. 

24.  Dredging  New  Haven  Harbor,  Edwin  S.  Lane;  Yale  Scientific  Monthly, 
November,  1906.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

25.  Dredging  Operations  and  Appliances,  J.  J.  Webster;  Engineering  News, 
July  16  and  23,  1887. 

26.  Dredging  Plant  for  India;  The  Engineer,  London,  December  28,  1906. 
Illustrated,  800  words. 

27.  Dredging  the  Hooghly;  The  Engineer,  London,  July  13,  1906.     Illustrated, 
800  words. 

28.  Dredging,  with  Special  Reference  to  Rotary  Cutters,  James  Henry  Apjohn; 
Engineering,  London,  June  19,  1903.     1,000  words. 

29.  An  Electrically  Operated  Dredge;  Engineering  Record,  June  6,   1908. 
Illustrated,  2,500  words. 

30.  An  Electrically  Operated  Suction  Dredger,  W.  T.  Donnelly;  International 
Marine  Engineering,  May,  1910.     Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

31.  English  and  American  Dredging  Practices,  A.  W.  Robinson;  Engineering 
News,  March  19,  1896.     1,900  words. 

32.  An  Enormous  Suction  Dredge;  Engineering  Record,  December  14,  1895. 
1,800  words. 

33.  Experiences  in  the  Operation  and  Repair  of  the  Hydraulic  Dredges  on  the 
Mississippi  River,  F.  B.  Maltby;  Journal  of  the  Association  of  Engineering 
Societies. 

34.  Feathering  Paddle  Wheels  for  U.  S.  Self-propelling  Hydraulic  Dredges; 
Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,  August  15,  1912.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

35.  The  Fruhling  System  of  Suction  Dredging,  John  Reid;  Engineering  News, 
March  5,  1908.     Illustrated,  3,500  words. 

36.  Government  Dredges  for  New  York  Harbor;  Marine  Engineering,  July, 
1904.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

37.  High  Powered  Dredges  and  Their  Relations  to  Sea  and  Inland  Navigation, 
Linton  W.  Bates;  Nautical  Gazette,  March  9,  1899.     Illustrated.     Serial. 

38.  Hopper  Suction  Dredger  "Libana"  for  the  Port  of  Liban;  Engineering, 
London,  January  n,  1889. 

39.  The  Hussey  Delivering  Dredge;  Engineering  News,  June  13,  1895. 

40.  The  Hydraulic  Dredge  "  J.  Israel  Tarte,"  A.  W.  Robinson;  Proceedings  of 
Canadian  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  February  25,   1904.     Illustrated,  6,000 
words. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  243 

41.  Hydraulic    Dredge   for   Reclaiming  Land   for  Lincoln    Park,    Chicago; 
Engineering  News,  February  27,  1908.     Illustrated,  800  words. 

42.  Hydraulic  Dredger  for  Burmah;  Engineering,  London,  January  12,  1885. 

43.  Hydraulic  Dredges,  L.   W.   Bates;  Engineering  Record,  September  24, 
1898,  2,800  words. 

44.  Hydraulic  Dredge  used  on  the  New  York  State  Barge  Canal,  Emile  Low; 
Engineering  News,  December  5,  1907.     Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

45.  Hydraulic  Dredging  in  the  Pacific  Division  of  the  Panama  Canal;  Engineer- 
ing Record,  April  2,  1910.     Illustrated,  3,500  words. 

46.  Hydraulic  Dredging  in  Tidal  Channels,  W.   H.   Wheeler;   Engineering 
Record,  February  4,  1899.     5,000  words. 

47.  Hydraulic  Dredging;   Its  Origin,   Growth  and  Present  Status,   W.   H. 
Smyth;  Journal  of  the  Association  of  Engineering  Societies,  Vol.  XIX,  1897. 
10,000  words. 

48.  Hydraulic  Dredging  in  New  York  Harbor;  Railroad  Gazette,  August  28. 
1891. 

49.  Hydraulic  Dredging  Machines,  C.  B.  Hunt;  Proceedings  Engineers'  Club 
of  Philadelphia,  March,  1887. 

50.  Hydraulic  Dredging  Steamer  "Gen.  C.  B.  Comstock";  Engineering  News, 
April  23,  1896. 

51.  Hydraulic  Suction  Dredge  for  the  Navigation  Improvements  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River;  Engineering  News,  April  23,  1896. 

52.  The  Hydraulic  Transmission  of  Dredged  Material  at  San  Pedro  Harbor, 
California,  H.  Hargood;  Engineering  News,  September  2,  1909. 

53.  An  Improved  Hydraulic  Dredge;  Engineering  Record,  March  27,  1897. 

54.  An  Improved  Suction  and  Force  Dredge,  H.  V.  Horn;  Zeitschrift  des 
Verienes  Deutscher  Ingenieure,  February  17,  1900.     Illustrated,  800  words. 

55.  The  Improvement  of  the  Mississippi  River  by  Dredging,  H.  St.  L.  Coppee; 
Engineering  Magazine,  June,  1898.     Illustrated,  4,500  words. 

56.  The  Kretz  Jet  Dredge;  Oesterreichisehe  Monatsschrift  fiir  den  Oeffent- 
lichen  Bandienst,  January,  1900.     Illustrated,  3,000  words. 

57.  Light  Draft  Hydraulic  Dredge;  Marine  Engineering.  April,  1902.     Illus- 
trated, 2,000  words. 

58.  A  Light-draught  Sand-pump  Dredger;  The  Engineer,  London,  May  20, 
1910.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

59.  The  Maintenance  of  Centrifugal  Dredging  Pumps;  Engineering  Record, 
April  20,  1901.     100  words. 

60.  Modern  Dredging  Machinery,  R.  Wels;  Zeitschrift  des  Vereines  Deutscher 
Ingenieure,  March  22,  29,  1902.     7,500  words. 

61.  Modern  Machinery  for   Excavating   and   Dredging,   A.   W.   Robinson; 
Engineering  Magazine;  March  and  April,  1903.     Illustrated,  7,500  words. 

62.  A  New  Flexible  Connection  for  Suction  Pipes  of  Dredges;  Engineering 
Record,  October  19,  1907.     Illustrated,  1,000  words. 

63.  New  Hydraulic  Dredges  for  the  Mississippi  River  Improvement;  Engi- 
neering News,  July  22,  1897. 

64.  A  New  Method  of  Applying  Cutting  Machinery  to  Suction  Dredges, 
George  Higgins;  Practical  Engineer,  November  23,   1910.     First  Part,  3,500 
words. 

65.  A  New  Pumping  Dredge;  Engineering  News,  January  30,  1886. 


244  FLO  A  TING  EXCA  VA  TORS 

66.  Notes  on   Hydraulic   Dredge   Design,    M.    G.    Kindlund;   International 
Marine  Engineering,  May,  1912.     3,000  words. 

67.  Plans  for  a  Fruhling  Suction-hopper  Dredge,  M.  Popp;  Schiffbau,  May  8, 
1912.     8  Plates,  4,000  words. 

68.  A  powerful  Prussian  Hydraulic  Dredge,   H.   Prime  Kieffer;   Iron   Age, 
September  24,  1908.     Illustrated,  2,000  words. 

69.  The  Pumping   Dredge  used  in   Reclaiming    Land,  John   Graham,   Jr.; 
Engineering  Record,  February  13,  1892. 

70.  Recent  Dredging  Operations  at  Oakland  Harbor,  California,  L.J.Le  Conte; 
Transactions  of  the  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  Vol.  XIII,  1884. 

71.  Recent  Improvements  in  Dredging  Machinery,  A.  W.  Robinson,  Engi- 
neering News,  December  4,  1886. 

72.  River  and  Harbor  Dredging;  Indian  and  Eastern  Engineer,  June,  1898. 
Illustrated,  2,400  words. 

73.  Russian  Dredgers.     A  Bormann;  Nautical  Gazette,  January  n,  1906. 

74.  Sand-pump    Dredgers,  A.  Geo.  Syster;  Engineering,   London,  June  16, 
1890.     1,400  words. 

75.  The  Sea-going  Hydraulic  Dredge  "Bengaurd";  Engineering  Record,  Octo- 
ber 6,  1900.     1,000  words. 

76.  Sea-going  Hydraulic  Dredges  for  the  East  Channel  Improvement,  New 
York  Harbor;  Marine  Engineering,  June,  1901.     Illustrated,  1,400  words. 

77.  Sea-going  Suction  Dredges,  Thomas  M.  Cornbrooks;  Society  of  Naval 
Architects  and  Marine  Engineers,  November,  1908.     Plates,  500  words. 

78.  Self-propelling  Hydraulic  Dredge  for  the  Mississippi  River;  Engineering 
News,  May  31,  1900.     Illustrated,  2,800  words. 

79.  Suction  Dredge  and  Collector;  Schweizerische  Bauzeitung,  September  16, 
1899.     Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

80.  Suction  pump  Dredger  "Octopus"  for  the  Natal  Government;  Engineer- 
ing, London,  August  20,  1897.     Illustrated,  700  words. 

81.  Two  New  Dredgers;  The  Engineer,  London,  December  30,  1910.     Illus- 
trated, 500  words. 

82.  The  io,ooo-ton  Suction  Dredger  "Leviathan"  for  use  on  the  Mersey; 
Scientific  American,  November  6,  1909.     Illustrated,  1,700  words. 

83.  Twenty-inch  Hydraulic  Dredge  "King  Edward,"  A.  W.  Robinson;  Cana- 
dian Engineer,  March,  1903.     Illustrated,  2,800  words. 

84.  Two  Sea-going  Suction  Dredges;  Marine  Review,  August  29,  1901.     Illus- 
trated, 900  words. 

85.  U.  S.  Suction  Dredge  New  Orleans;  International  Marine  Engineering, 
May,  1911.     Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

86.  The  Van  Schmidt  Dredge,  George  Higgins;  Proceedings  of  the  Institute 
of  Civil  Engineers,  Vol.  CIV,  1890. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

95.  Classification. — The  rapid  development  of  sanitary  and  drain- 
age engineering  during  the  past  quarter  of  a  century  has  led  to  the 
general  construction  of  sewer,  water-supply  and  drainage  systems. 
The  large  amount  of  trench  excavation  made  necessary  for  the  installa- 
tion of  these  improvements  has  led  to  the  design  of  special  excavators. 
In  work  of  any  magnitude,  these  machines  are  much  more  efficient 
and  economical  than  hand  labor. 

Trench  excavators  may  be  divided  into  two  general  divisions,  viz: 

(1)  Sewer  and  water-pipe  trench  excavators. 

(2)  Drainage  tile  trench  excavators. 

SECTION  I.     SEWER  AND  WATER-PIPE  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

96.  Classification. — This   class   of  excavators   will   be   considered 
in  five  different  groups  or  types,  as  follows:  (a)  The  traveling  derrick 
or  locomotive  crane;  (b)  the  continuous  bucket  excavator;  (c)  the 
trestle  cable  excavator;  (d)  the  tower  cableway;  (e)  the  trestle  track 
excavator. 

A.  THE  TRAVELING  DERRICK 

97.  General  Description. — The   traveling   derrick  or  locc motive 
crane  is  similar  in  construction  and  operation  to  the  revolving  shovel 
described   in    Chapter   V.     The   machine   consists   essentially   of   a 
derrick  and  a  double-drum  hoisting  engine  mounted  on  a  platform  car. 

The  smaller  sizes  of  cranes  are  mounted  on  four-wheel  trucks, 
equipped  with  either  broad-tired  wheels  for  ordinary  road  traction 
or  with  standard  railroad  wheels.  The  larger  sizes  of  cranes,  generally 
above  ic-ton  capacity,  are  mounted  on  two  four-wheel  trucks  of  the 
Standard  M.  C.  B.  railroad  type.  These  trucks  support  a  steel- 
frame  platform  equipped  with  drawbars  for  tha  four-wheel  type  and 
with  M.  C.  B.  couplers,  steam  brake,  train  pipe,  grab  handles,  steps, 
etc. 

The  upper  or  swinging  platform  is  pivoted  to  the  lower  or  stationary 

245 


246  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

one  and  by  means  of  a  gearing  can  be  made  to  revolve  in  a  circle. 
This  platform  is  a  steel  frame,  to  the  front  end  of  which  is  hinged 
the  boom.  Behind  the  boom  is  placed  the  two  engines  and  at  the 
rear  end  the  boiler  or  motor  is  set,  if  electric  power  is  used.  The 
machinery  is  generally  housed  to  furnish  a  protection  against  the 
weather. 

It  consists  of  two  reversible  link-motion  vertical  engines,  which 
operate  a  moving  gear  for  the  propulsion  of  the  machine,  a  reversible 
swinging  gear  to  swing  the  upper  platform  and  bucket  and  the  drums 
for  the  handling  of  the  bucket. 


Travelling  Crane  Equipped  with  Grab  Bucket. 
Figure  115. 

The  power  used  is  either  steam  or  electric.  In  the  case  of  the 
former,  a  vertical  type  of  steam  boiler  is  used,  and  the  steam  is  fed 
direct  to  the  cylinders  of  the  engine.  Electric  power  is  commonly 
used  for  street  railway  work  and  is  cleaner,  cheaper  and  smoother  in 
operation  than  steam  power.  The  equipment  for  an  electrically 
operated  crane  would  be  similar  to  that  for  a  revolving  steam  shovel. 
See  Art.  28,  Chapter  V. 

The  crane  or  boom  is  generally  a  latticed  steel  framework,  widened 
out  to  the  width  of  the  platform  at  its  lower  end  and  narrowing  to  a 
sufficient  width  at  the  upper  end  to  carry  the  sheaves.  The  boom  may 
be  raised  and  lowered  by  cables  attached  to  its  outer  end  from  a  winch 
on  the  engine. 


TRAVELING  DERRICK  247 

Wire  cables  lead  from  the  engine  drums  out  over  the  sheaves  at  the 
end  of  the  boom  and  then  down  to  the  bucket  or  skip.  A  grab  bucket 
of  the  clam-shell  or  orange-peel  type  may  be  used  or  a  simple  skip  or 
bucket  for  the  hoisting  of  excavated  material.  Fig.  115  shows  a  20-ton 
crane  with  a  grab  bucket.  This  machine  is  being  used  on  the  Panama 
Canal. 

A  scraper  bucket  may  be  used  for  the  excavation  of  trenches  or 
ditches.  See  account  of  such  a  machine  given  in  Art.  47,  Chapter  VI. 
A  drag  line  and  separate  drum  must  be  used  in  this  case. 

For  descriptions  of  the  various  types  of  buckets  see  Art.  26,  Chapter 
V,  and  Art.  44,  Chapter  VI. 

The  following  set  of  blank  specifications  of  the  Brown  Hoisting 
Machinery  Company  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  give  a  general  idea  of  the 
make-up  of  a  standard  type  of  locomotive  crane  with  grab  bucket. 

SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  FOUR-WHEEL,  — TON  LOCOMOTIVE  CRANE,  SUPPLIED  WITH 
GRAB-BUCKET  EQUIPMENT 

See  Clearance  Sketch  No and  Photo  No herewith 

For 

Gage  of  track '.....  ft in. 

CAPACITY. — The  crane  on  above  gage  of  track  has  power,  strength  and  sta- 
bility to  safely  handle  the  following  loads  at  the  given  radii,  without  the  use  of 
rail  clamps  or  outriggers,  and  will  swing  these  loads  through  a  full  circle,  and  will 
move  the  same  along  tracks  with  boom  in  any  position: 

At  radius Ib. 

At  15  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  20  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  25  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  30  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  35  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  40  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  45  ft.  radius Ib. 

At  50  ft.  radius Ib. 

Note. — These  lifting  capacities  are  based  on  tracks  being  in  good  condition 
and  with  16,000  Ib.  counterweight  in  truck.  By  using  track  clamps  (provided 
with  crane)  these  lifting  capacities  are  increased.  If  tracks  are  in  bad  condition, 
these  capacities  will  be  diminished. 

FUNCTIONS  AND  SPEEDS. — The  crane,  under  its  own  steam,  to  have  the 
functions  of  hoisting,  rotating,  track  travel,  and  boom  lowering.  The  hoisting, 
traveling  and  rotating  may  be  utilized  simultaneously  with  full  load  or  any  fun- 
ction may  be  used  independently,  as  desired,  and  at  approximately  the  follow- 
ing speeds: 

Hoisting,  grab  bucket;  full  load,  140  ft.  per  minute. 
Hoisting,  grab  bucket;  empty,  180  ft.  per  minute. 


248  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

Hoisting,  full  load  with  block  on  four-part  line,  70  ft.  per  minute. 

Hoisting,  empty  hook  on  four-part  line,  no  ft.  per  minute. 

Rotating,  full  load,  when  at  specified  radius,  4  complete  turns  per 

minute. 

Rotating,  empty  hook,  6  complete  turns  per  minute. 
Track  travel,  full  load  on  straight  level  track,  500  ft.  per  minute. 
Track  travel,  empty  hook  on  straight  level  track,  600  ft.  per  minute. 
Possible  grade,  with  full  load.  .  .  .per  cent. 
Possible  grade,  with  empty  hook  .  . .  .per  cent. 
Minimum  radius  curve,  70  ft. 
Maximum  draw-bar  pull  on  straight  level  track Ib. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION: — The  crane  in  general  consists  of  a  structural  steel 
truck  frame  which  sets  on  trucks,  a  heavy  cast-iron  truck  bed,  which  is  riveted 
and  bolted  into  truck  frame;  a  rotating  bed  and  housings  upon  which  engine  and 
crab  mechanism  are  mounted;  a  large  heavy  cast-iron  combined  counterweight 
and  water  tank,  also  used  for  boiler  support;  a  boiler,  engines,  crab  mechanism 
and  boom. 

TRUCK  FRAME  AND  TRUCKS. — This  frame  is  made  of  I-beams,  plates  and 
channels,  and  constructed  to  fit  cast-iron  truck  bed  and  also  form  a  convenient 
receptacle  for  counterweight.  The  entire  crane  is  mounted  on  four  wheels, 
28  in.  in  diameter,  having  standard  M.  C.  B.  chilled  treads,  with  axles  forged 
from  a  special  steel.  Axles  are  5-in.  diameter  in  the  journal,  6-in.  in  the  wheel- 
seat,  and  with  journals  running  in  bronze  half-boxes  with  large  receptacles 
for  oil. 

COUNTERWEIGHT. — In  the  truck  frame,  space  is  provided  for  16,000  Ib.  of 
counterweight.  This  counterweight  would  consist  of  pig  iron,  punchings, 
scrap,  etc. 

Note. — This  counterweight  is  always  furnished  by  customer. 

ENGINES. — These  consist  of  a  pair  of  vertical  cylinders,  Q-in.  diameter,  7-in. 
stroke,  coupled  at  right  angles,  and  mounted  on  the  housings.  Engines  have 
link-motion  reversing  gear,  wide-ported  slide  valves,  and  are  equipped  with 
suitable  lubricators,  dripcocks,  etc.  Speed  350  r.p.m.  under  full  load.  The 
connecting  rods,  eccentric  rods,  valve  stems  and  suspension  pins  are  made  of 
manganese  bronze.  Cylinders,  guides  and  stuffing  boxes  are  bored  at  same 
setting,  thus  insuring  perfect  alignment.  Pistons  can  be  removed  without 
disturbing  cylinder. 

Note. — Vertical  engines  on  locomotive  cranes  are  preferable  to  horizontal,  as 
they  cause  less  vibration  to  the  machine.  This  is  noticeable  when  used  on  a 
bridge,  trestle  or  other  structure,  which  might  be  injuriously  affected  by  any 
excessive  vibratory  action. 

BOILER. — The  boiler  is  of  the  vertical  tubular  type,  possessing  quick  steaming 
qualities  and  large  steam  capacity.  It  is  54  in.  in  diameter  and  8  ft.  3^  in.  high. 
There  are  no  tubes  of  seamless  steel,  each  2\  in.  in  diameter,  with  copper  ferrules. 
The  boiler  has  double-riveted  vertical  and  single-riveted  circular  seams.  The 
shell  is  of  f -in.  fire-box  steel,  and  the  heads  of  f-in.  fire-box  steel.  The  boiler 
has  a  large  fire-box,  is  of  ample  capacity  to  supply  steam  for  all  conditions  of 
work,  and  is  fitted  with  best  make  of  water-gage,  steam-gage  pop-safety  valve, 
blow-off  valve,  etc.,  and  injector  for  boiler  feed.  The  entire  boiler  is  heavily 


TRA  VELING  DERRICK  249 

lagged  with  magnesia,  with  outside  surface  of  sheet  steel;  working  steam 
pressure,  100  Ib. 

HOISTING  MECHANISM. — Consists  of  a  main  or  hoist  drum,  and  a  holding  or 
shell-rope  drum.  The  hoist  drum  is  driven  from  a  friction  clutch  on  the  main 
engine  shaft  through  a  train  of  cast-steel  gearing  with  machine-cut  teeth.  The 
shell  drum  is  driven  from  the  hoist  drum  by  a  suitable  slip  friction.  The  amount 
of  friction  is  controlled  by  an  adjusting  device  on  the  end  of  the  drum  shaft, 
designed  to  maintain  a  slight  tension  on  shell  rope  during  the  operation  of  closing 
and  hoisting  bucket.  Both  drums  are  of  sufficient  size  to  receive  their  respective 
ropes  in  a  single  layer;  all  overwinding  and  consequent  wear  of  ropes  is  thus 
avoided.  Each  drum  is  provided  with  a  brake  of  ample  size,  and  all  levers  are 
within  easy  reach  of  operator,  who  has  at  all  times  perfect  control  of  crane  and 
bucket.  Wood  friction  blocks  between  hoist  and  shell  drum  can  be  replaced  in 
a  few  minutes'  time  without  taking  out  drums. 

ROTATING  MECHANISM. — (Grafton's  patent.  The  Brown  Hoisting  Machinery 
Co.,  sole  licensees.)  Consists  of  two  friction  clutches  driving  a  train  of  gears, 
the  last  two  of  which  are  on  a  nickel-steel  shaft;  the  pinion  on  the  lower  end  of 
this  shaft  meshes  into  a  slip-ring  of  large  diameter,  whereby  rotating  in  either 
direction  may  be  accomplished  without  reversing  the  engines.  This  slip-ring 
is  made  of  non-welded  forged  steel  like  a  locomotive  tire,  and  has  teeth  cut  in 
its  periphery;  said  ring  resting  loosely  on  a  properly  turned  bearing  or  seat  on  the 
upper  surface  of  the  truck  bed.  The  upper  surface  of  the  slip-ring,  which  is 
beveled,  forms  the  bearing  or  path  for  the  conical  rollers  carrying  superstructure. 
There  are  six  of  these  rollers,  four  in  front  to  take  the  thrust  of  the  boom,  carried 
in  pairs  by  steel  equalizers,  and  two  in  rear.  The  slip-ring  is  free  to  move  in  either 
direction,  when  the  rotating  clutch  is  thrown  into  gear,  but  is  retarded  in  this 
motion  by  the  frictional  resistance  between  the  ring  and  its  seat,  due  to  the  weight 
of  the  crane  superstructure  and  load  resting  on  it.  The  action  of  the  slip-ring 
is  therefore  that  of  a  safety  cushion  when  rotating  the  crane  under  light  or  heavy 
loads,  and  the  resistance  of  the  ring  to  rotating  is  directly  proportional  to  the 
load  hanging  on  the  crane.  These  several  parts  are  so  nicely  adjusted  that  by 
this  simple  means  all  tendency  to  shock  is  avoided,  and  rotation  may  be  effected 
in  either  direction,  or  may  be  reversed  as  frequently  and  as  quickly  as  desired, 
without  any  danger  of  breaking  or  even  straining  any  part  of  the  mechanism. 

Note. — The  gain  in  time  and  convenience  to  the  operator  by  using  this  slip- 
ring  is  very  apparent  when  the  crane  is  seen  in  service.  A  crane  thus  constructed 
is  far  safer,  more  convenient,  and  more  rapid  in  action  than  one  not  provided 
with  such  a  frictional  safety  device,  and  our  cranes,  therefore,  have  an  actual 
capacity  of  from  20  to  40  per  cent,  greater  than  any  other  crane,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  reduced  cost  of  repairs. 

TRAVELING  MECHANISM.  This  mechanism  is  driven  by  a  friction  clutch  on  a 
shaft  geared  to  the  crank  shaft  and  consists  of  a  train  of  gears,  one  of  the  shafts  of 
which  passes  down  through  the  hollow  center  pin.  This  pin  is  the  axis  of  rotation 
of  upper  part  of  crane.  On  the  lower  end  of  this  shaft  is  a  bevel  pinion  meshing 
with  a  bevel  gear  on  a  longitudinal  shaft  on  the  ends  of  which  are  bevel  pinions 
that  mesh  with  gears  of  truck-wheel  axles.  The  truck-wheel  axle  gears  are 
split  and  easily  removable  when  making  repairs. 

BOOM. — Boom  is  built  up  of  four  heavy  angles,  securely  latticed  together  in 
both  horizontal  and  vertical  planes.  The  two  angles  forming  either  side  of  boom 


250  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

are  brought  as  near  together  at  the  ends  as  proper  connection  will  permit  and 
between  these  points  the  angles  are  bent  to  a  parabolic  curve.  The  greatest 
vertical  depth  of  boom  is  therefore  at  the  middle  point  of  its  length,  and  the 
parabolic  curve  of  angles,  relieving  the  lacing  of  all  compressive  stress,  renders 
this  the  strongest  shape  possible. 

The  angles  forming  the  horizontal  bracing  are  laced  together  in  a  vertical 
plane  at  alternate  panels,  forming  diaphragms  which  rigidly  maintain  the  rec- 
tangular cross-section  of  boom. 

The  least  horizontal  width  of  boom  is  at  the  upper  or  head  end  and  the  greatest 
at  the  foot  or  lower  end,  where  connection  is  made  to  rotating  bed  of  crane, 
giving  ample  lateral  stability  when  rotating  the  heaviest  loads  at  maximum 
speeds. 

The  boom  may  be  lowered  until  head  end  is  level  with  track  without  injury, 
thus  rendering  it  practically  impossible  for  the  boom  feet  to  be  broken  off  by 
carelessness  of  operator. 

The  head  of  boom  is  provided  with  a  suitable  pin  carrying  the  sheaves  for 
both  hoisting  and  radius-varying  ropes.  The  hoist  rope  sheaves  are  arranged 
to  shift  readily  on  pin  so  that  when  using  a  "Brown-hoist"  bucket,  it  may  be 
hung  in  such  a  way  as  to  open  either  parallel  or  at  right  angles  to  the  boom. 
This  is  an  exceedingly  valuable  feature. 

All  sheaves  are  provided  with  ample  rope  guards,  which  positively  prevent  the 
rope  becoming  fouled. 

The  change  from  bottom  block  to  bucket  may  be  made  in  a  very  short  time. 

RADIUS-CHANGING  GEAR. — This  consists  of  a  drum  driven  by  worm  gearing, 
from  the  main  shaft,  by  means  of  a- positive  clutch,  which  is  held  securely  in 
place  by  a  quadrant.  The  worm  wheel  is  of  bronze  and  worm  of  steel,  both 
having  cut  teeth.  The  boom  is  supported  from  the  drum  by  six  parts  of  f-in. 
plow-steel  wire  rope  running  through  equalizing  sheaves.  A  clamp  operates  on 
the  worm  shaft  to  hold  mechanism  when  clutch  is  thrown  off.  By  running  the 
engines  in  the  proper  direction,  the  radius  may  be  varied  from ft.  maxi- 
mum to ft.  minimum  when  equipped  with  grab  bucket;  and ft. 

maximum  to ft in.  when  equipped  with  bottom  block. 

GEARS. — All  gears  are  of  steel  and  all  spur  gears  have  teeth  cut  from  the  solid. 

CLUTCHES. — All  clutches  except  radius-varying  are  of  the  disc  friction  type, 
built  for  rapid  operation  and  designed  and  located  for  quick  and  easy  adjustment. 
The  adjustment  of  the  clutch  is  only  the  matter  of  loosening  one  binding  screw 
and  turning  adjusting  nut  to  right  or  left  as  desired.  This  one-point  adjustment 
insures  uniform  pressure  over  the  whole  face  of  the  friction  blocks. 

OPERATING  LEVERS. — The  functions  of  hoisting,  rotating  and  traveling  are 
controlled  by  levers,  one  above  the  other,  that  move  in  a  horizontal  plane  about 
a  common  vertical  axis.  These  levers  are  conveniently  located  to  be  manipu- 
lated by  the  operator  with  the  left  hand.  The  shell  brake  lever  is  conveniently 
located  to  be  handled  with  the  right  hand.  The  hoist  brake  is  controlled  by  a 
foot  lever.  Reversing  lever  is  about  central  on  the  operator's  platfornTand  is 
convenient  for  the  operator  to  handle  with  the  right  hand.  The  clutch  for  boom 
hoist  is  controlled  by  a  hand  lever  near  the  right-hand  side  of  operator's  plat- 
form. The  throttle  is  controlled  by  hand  levers,  dropped  down  from  the  roof 
of  the  cab  in  front  of  the  operator.  There  are  three  of  these  levers,  one  con- 
venient for  the  operator  when  in  position  to  work  the  other  levers,  and  one  at 


TRAVELING  DERRICK  251 

each  side  of  crane,  so  that  when  traveling  backward,  the  operator  can  stand  on 
either  side,  inside  the  cab,  and  look  out  the  door  in  direction  of  travel  and  see 
that  the  track  is  clear.  The  operator's  platform  is  raised  up  so  that  he  can  look 
over  the  drums  and  have  a  good  view  of  his  lift  at  all  times. 

HALF  CAB. — A  half  cab,  with  roof  over  operator  is  furnished,  consisting  of 
light  angle-irons  covered  with  sheet  steel. 

Note. — A  full  cab,  having,  in  addition  to  above,  sheet  steel  sides  and  ends, 
with  two  sliding  doors  with  windows,  can  be  furnished  when  required,  at  addi- 
tional cost. 

DRAW  BAR. — A  draw  bar  is  supplied  for  coupling  crane  to  railway  cars,  so 
that  crane  can  be  used  to  switch  cars.  Both  ends  of  truck  frame  are  equipped 
with  necessary  brackets  to  enable  draw  bar  to  be  used  at  either  end. 

WATER  TANK. — There  is  provided  a  cast-iron  water  tank  with  a  capacity  of 
gal. 

BOTTOM  BLOCK. — A  bottom  block  is  provided  for  use  with  crane  when  used  for 
handling  miscellaneous  material.  Block  to  have  two  sheaves  and  to  hoist  the 
load  on  four  parts  of  rope.  Sheaves  to  be  of  ample  size  for  the  diameter  of  rope 
used,  to  have  machine  turned  score,  and  bronze  bushing.  Side  plates  of  block 
to  be  made  from  soft  steel  plate.  Hook  to  turn  in  a  swivel  cross-head. 

COAL  SUPPLY. — The  crane  coal  bunker  has  a  capacity  of  i,coo  Ib. 

ROPES. — All  ropes  are  best  grade  of  plow  steel. 

TRACK  CLAMPS. — Four  pairs  of  track  clamps  are  furnished  and  suitably  at- 
tached to  the  crane  for  clamping  same  to  the  rails  at  four  points,  to  give  addi- 
tional stability,  or  to  hold  crane  on  grades  when  necessary. 

TOOLS. — There  is  provided  with  every  crane,  a  complete  set  of  firing  tools,  a 
flue  cleaner,  oil  cans,  wrenches,  etc. 

CLEARANCES. — Extreme  height  of  crane,  16  ft.  2  in. 
Extreme  width  of  crane,  10  ft.  o  in. 
Wheel  base,  8  ft.  o  in. 
Rear  overhang  of  rotating  parts,  9  ft.  ic4  in. 

Note. — Where  absblutely  necessary,  the  height  of  crane  can  be  reduced  to 
14  ft.  o  in.  by  removing  the  stack,  which  is  bolted. 

GRAB  BUCKET. — The  equipment  includes  a  Brown  patent  two-rope  grab 
bucket  of cu.  ft.  capacity,  suitable  for  handling 

MATERIAL. — The  material  entering  into  the  construction  is  the  very  best 
obtainable.  Exhaustive  tests,  together  with  years  of  experience  in  building 
locomotive  cranes,  has  enabled  us  to  determine  exactly  the  kind  and  grade  of 
material  best  suited  for  each  detail. 

WORKMANSHIP. — The  workmanship  on  these  cranes  throughout  is  of  the 
highest  order.  Holes  are  bored  to  micrometer  sizes  and  details  made  to  gages, 
thus  insuring  positive  duplication  of  parts  when  needed  for  repairs.  Shafts  are 
of  best  grade  of  forged  steel  enlarged  in  diameter  where  press  or  drive  fits  are 
used.  This  practice  insures  parts  intended  to  be  a  tight  fit,  remaining  so,  as 
well  as  facilitates  making  repairs  by  avoiding  the  necessity  of  driving  the  part 
to  be  removed,  more  than  the  length  of  the  fit;  and  from  that  point  it  can  be 
removed  with  the  hands.  All  parts  of  these  cranes  are  subjected  to  a  rigid 
inspection  in  detail,  during  the  process  of  machining,  as  well  as  a  general  in- 
spection after  assembling  and  during  tests,  which  are  given  all  cranes  before 
shipment. 


252  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

WEIGHT. — Total  weight  of  crane  and  bucket,  without  counterweight,  coal  or 
water,  is  approximately Ib.  With  counterweight Ib. 

LETTERING. — Cab  will  be  lettered  and  numbered  to  suit  purchaser. 

ALL-RAIL  SHIPMENT. — For  all-rail  shipment,  the  crane  is  shipped  assembled 
as  far  as  possible,  in  a  drop-end  gondola  car;  the  only  detached  parts  being  the 
boiler,  boiler  fittings,  boom  and  ropes,  these  together  with  the  bucket  being  loaded 
in  a  separate  gondola  car  accompanying  the  crane.  The  injector,  valves,  etc., 
are  boxed  and  strapped  to  the  car  floor. 

OCEAN  SHIPMENT. — For  ocean  shipment,  the  crane  would  be  "knocked 
down"  and  boxed.  All  parts  to  be  properly  marked  to  facilitate  assembling. 
All  packages  marked  with  customer's  mark,  contents,  gross  and  net  weights 
and  dimensions,  and  numbered  from  one  up. 

Slings  are  made  on  all  heavy  packages  to  avoid  breakage  and  assist  in  handling. 

Shipping  and  detail  packing  lists  to  be  furnished  at  time  of  shipment.  An 
extra  charge  is  made  for  this  boxing  for  export. 

CATALOGUE  OF  PARTS,  ETC. — With  each  crane  a  book  of  photographs,  showing 
all  crane  parts,  properly  numbered,  is  supplied.  Printed  instructions,  covering 
the  erecting  of  the  crane,  its  care  and  operation  are  furnished. 

THE  BROWN  HOISTING  MACHINERY  CO. 

By... 
191- • 


97a.  Use  in  Indiana.1 — A  simple  form  of  locomotive  crane  was 
used  during  the  season  of  1908  for  the  excavation  of  a  sewer  trench 
in  Gary,  Indiana.  The  excavator  consisted  of  a  J-cu.  yd.  Hayward 
orange-peel  bucket  operated  by  a  25-h.p.  hoisting  engine  and  a 
separate  swinging  engine.  The  whole  machine  was  mounted  on  a 
heavy  platform  supported  on  rollers  and  moved  ahead  by  means  of 
a  wire  cable  attached  to  a  "dead  man"  ahead. 

The  trench  had  a  rectangular  cross-section  of  30  ft.  width  and  a 
depth  of  12  ft.,  and  in  the  bottom  was  a  secondary  rectangular 
channel,  10  ft.  wide  and  4  ft.  deep.  The  material  excavated  was  a 
fine  lake  sand  and  the  last  3  to  4  ft.  of  excavation  was  in  water. 

The  labor  schedule  was  as  follows: 

i  Engineer  @  $6  per  day 
i  foreman  @  $3.50  per  day 
5  laborers  @  $1.50  per  day 

The  work  was  commenced  on  April  2,  1908,  and  the  first  1,830  ft. 
were  completed  May  31,  1908.  The  machine  was  shut  down  five 
days  for  repairs  and  a  night  crew  worked  13  extra  shifts,  so  that  a 
total  of  51  shifts  or  working  days  were  used  for  this  work. 

The  following  table  will  give  the  cost  of  the  work: 

Abstracted  from  Engineering- Con tracting,  July  15,  1908. 


TRAVELING  DERRICK                            253 

Labor: 

i  engineer  @  $6,  $306.00 

i  foreman  @  $3.50,  178.50 

5  laborers  @  $1.50,  382.50 
Extra  labor  of  engineer  and  fireman  for 

5  days  making  repairs,  47.  50 


Total  labor  expense,  $914.50 

Fuel  and  Supplies: 

Coal, 

Oil,  waste  and  repairs, 


Total,  $320.00 


Grand  total  expense,  $1,234.50 

Total  amount  of  excavation,  21,250  cu.  yd. 
Cost  of  excavation;  $1234.  50-^21, 250  =  $©. 058  per  cubic 
yard. 

97b.  Use  in  Kentucky. — ^hree  Browning  locomotive  cranes 
were  used  during  the  season  of  1910  in  the  excavation  of  a  large 
sewer  trench  in  Lousville,  Kentucky. 

The  trench  was  2,723  ft.  long,  the  average  depth  of  excavation 
was  22.4  ft.,  and  the  average  amount  of  excavation  per  linear  foot 
of  trench  was  12.25  cu-  yd.  The  material  excavated  consisted  of 
blue  and  yellow  clay  to  a  depth  of  6  ft.,  yellow  clay  and  loam  for 
the  next  6  to  1 2  ft.  and  this  was  underlaid  with  fine  and  coarse  sand. 

The  excavators  were  lo-ton  Browning  locomotive  cranes,  one  of 
which  was  equipped  with  an  automatic  orange-peel  bucket  of  i  cu. 
yd.  capacity  and  one  with  an  automatic  clam-shell  bucket  of  J  cu.  yd. 
capacity.  The  cranes  ran  on  a  standard  gage  track  of  60-  and  65-lb. 
rails.  The  cranes  operated  as  follows:  Crane  No.  i,  equipped  with 
an  Owens  clam-shell  bucket,  moved  along  the  trench  and  excavated 
the  first  10  to  12  ft.  The  sheeting  was  started  as  soon  as  practicable 
and  Crane  No.  2,  equipped  with  a  f  cu.  yd.  bucket,  followed  and  re- 
moved the  balance  of  the  cut  to  grade.  The  excavated  material 
with  the  exception  of  the  sand  was  dumped  into  a  spoil  bank  along 
the  opposite  side  of  the  trench  from  the  track.  The  sand  was 
dumped  into  a  screen  and  used  for  concrete.  Crane  No.  3,  brought 
up  the  rear  and  did  all  the  back-filling  and  pulling  of  sheathing  and 
timbering. 

The  following  are  the  labor  costs  per  working  day  of  10  hours: 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  June  29,  1910. 


254  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

CRANE  No.  i 

i  engineer,  $3.50 

i  fireman,  2.00 

i  tagman,  1.75 

i  signalman,  1.75 

Total  labor  cost,  $9 .  oo 

Average  excavation,  200  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  for  labor,  $0.045  per  cubic  yard. 

CRANE  No.  2 

i  engineer, 

i  fireman, 

i  foreman, 

8  laborers,  @  $1.75, 

Total  labor  cost,  $21 . 50 

Average  excavation,  225  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  for  labor,  $0.095  Pe?  cubic  yard. 

CRANE  No.  3 

i  engineer, 
i  fireman, 
i  signalman, 

Total  labor  cost,  $7.25 

Average  excavation,  500  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  for  labor,  $0.0145  per  cubic  yard. 

The  average  amount  of  coal  used  per  crane  per  day  was  1,200  Ib. 
at  a  cost  of  $4  a  ton.  About  160  gal.  of  water  were  used  per  crane  a 
day. 

The  cranes  cost  $5,000  each  and  annual  interest  and  depreciation 
was  allowed  for  at  the  rate  of  15  per  cent. 

B.  THE  CONTINUOUS  BUCKET  EXCAVATOR 

There  are  several  makes  of  machines  built  on  the  principle  of  the 
continuous  excavator  or  ladder  dredge,  which  are  used  for  the  excava- 
tion of  trenches  with  vertical  sides,  widths  of  from  12  to  78  in.  and 
depths  up  to  20  ft.  Three  of  the  best  known  will  be  described. 

98.  Parsons  Traction  Trench  Excavator. — This  excavator  is  built 
by  the  G.  W.  Parsons  Co.  of  Newton,  Iowa,  and  is  commonly  used  on 
trench  work  for  sewer  and  water  pipes  throughout  the  central  West. 

The  machine  consists  of  two  frames,  the  rear  and  main  frame  is  sup- 


PARSONS  TRENCH  EXCAVATOR 


255 


ported  on  four  steel  broad-tired  wheels  and  carries  the  engines,  the 
boiler,  coal  box  and  water  tank,  the  front  frame  is  supported  on  two 
steel  wheels  and  its  rear  end  is  attached  to  the  main  frame  while  the 
front  end  carries  the  digging  ladder.  The  two  frames  are  hinged  to- 
gether so  that  in  moving  over  hilly  or  uneven  ground  the  ladder  may 


Parsons  Trench  Excavator. 
Figure  116. 

be  kept  to  grade  and  in  a  fixed  position.  The  entire  machine  is  built 
of  steel  and  weighs  from  22  to  24  tons,  depending  on  the  width  of  the 
buckets.  Fig.  116  shows  the  construction  of  the  excavator. 

The  coal  box  and  water-tank  are  made  of  steel  plates  and  are  carried 
on  the  rear  of  the  main  frame  over  the  rear  wheels.  They  are  of  suf- 
ficient capacity  to  carry  fuel  and  water  for  one-half  day's  work. 

The  boiler  is  placed  on  the  central  portion  of  the  main  frame  and  is 


256 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


a  vertical  tubular  boiler  of  standard  make.  The  engines  are  set  in 
front  of  the  boiler  and  nearly  over  the  central  wheels  of  the  machine. 
These  are  of  the  single  cylinder  vertical  type  and  supply  power  through 
gears  and  sprocket  chains  to  the  bucket  chain,  the  disposal  conveyor 
and  the  central  axle  for  traction. 

A  triangular  steel  framework  is  supported  from  the  front  of  the  front 
frame  and  carries  the  bucket  chain  on  three  sets  of  sprocket  wheels. 
The  chain  is  made  up  of  22  to  24  buckets  connected  together  by  heavy 
steel  links.  As  will  be  seen  from  Fig.  117,  each  bucket  is  made  up  of 
four  sections,  the  first  section  having  five  teeth  bolted  to  it  and  the 


Bucket  of  the  Parsons  Trench  Excavator. 
Figure  117. 


other  sections  forming  the  body  of  the  bucket  to  contain  the  ex- 
cavated material.  The  sections  are  each  connected  to  the  links  by 
steel  pins  which  give  flexibility  and  readily  conform  to  the  excavation 
of  material  of  varying  density  and  easily  dump  the  material,  always 
leaving  the  bucket  clean. 

The  excavating  ladder  swings  automatically  from  one  side  to  the 
other  of  the  rear  frame  and  thus  with  the  smaller  size  of  machine 
trenches  with  widths  from  29  to  60  in.  may  be  dug.  With  the  larger 
machine  a  width  of  trench  up  to  78  in.  can  be  excavated.  This  has 


PARSONS  TRENCH  EXCAVATOR  257 

the  advantage  of  varying  the  width  of  cut  without  changing  the  buckets 
and  also  the  making  of  a  manhole  at  any  point  without  delay. 

When  obstructions  are  met  during  the  excavation  of  a  trench,  such 
as  boulders,  roots,  etc.,  the  excavating  wheel  may  be  raised  over  them 
and  fed  down  into  the  earth  on  the  other  side.  While  in  operation  the 
excavator  occupies  a  space  of  8  ft.  at  the  top  and  3  ft.  at  the  bottom  of 
the  trench.  The  rear  of  the  chain  is  in  nearly  a  vertical  position  and 
pipe  can  be  laid  to  within  3  ft.  of  the  face  of  the  trench.  This  face  or 
head  has  a  slope  of  4  ft.  in  a  depth  of  20  ft. 

Q8a.  Cost  of  Operation. — The  manufacturers,  as  a  result  of  several 
years'  use  of  their  machines,  have  compiled  the  following  table  of  com- 
parison between  machine  and  hand  labor  in  trench  excavation: 

HAND  WORK 

Foreman,  Per  day,  $4 .  oo 

Timberman,  Per  day,    • 

Helper,  Per  day, 

Pipe  layer,  Per  day, 

Helper,  Per  day, 

40  laborers  @  $2 .  oo  Per  day, 

Total,  $95-00 

MACHINE  WORK 

Engineer,  Per  day,  $4.00 

Fireman,  Per  day,  2.50 

Coal,  Per  day  5.00 

Oil  and  waste,  Per  day,  i .  oo 

Water,  Per  day,  i .  oo 

Team,  Per  day,  4.00 

Foreman,  Per  day,  4 .  oo 

Pipe  layer,  Per  day,  3.00 

Helper,  Per  day,  2.50 

Timberman,  Per  day,  3.00 

Helper,  Per  day,  2 . 50 

2  teams  back-filling,"  @  $4     Per  day,  8 .  oo 

2  Helpers,  @  $2  Per  day,  4.00 

Total,  $44-50 

Interest,  depreciation  and  repairs,  $10.00 

Total  for  machine  work,  $54  •  50 

Total  for  hand  work,  $95  -o° 

Saving  per  day,  $40.  50 

On  the  assumption  that  by  hand  labor  each  man  excavates  7  cu. 

17 


258  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

yd.  per  day,  a  total  excavation  of  3 1 5  cu.  yd.  per  day  will  be  made.  On 
a  trench  28  in.  wide  and  12  ft.  deep,  this  crew  will  dig  315  lin.  ft.  of 
trench  per  day.  At  7  cents  per  cubic  yard  for  back-filling,  the  latter 
will  cost  $22  for  the  return  of  the  315  cu.  yd.  to  the  trench.  This  will 
make  a  total  cost  of  $117  for  a  day's  work. 

Assuming  that  the  machine  excavates  250  lin.  ft.  of  the  same  size 
trench  in  a  day's  work  of  10  hours  duration,  the  cost  of  operation, 
fuel,  oil,  waste,  water,  interest  on  investment,  repairs  and  depreciation 
will  be  $25.  The  cost  of  laying  pipe,  timbering  trench,  back-filling 
trench,  etc.,  will  amount  to  $29.50  per  day,  making  the  total  cost 
$54.50. 

The  above  statement  indicates  that  during  a  lo-hour  day  an 
excavator  will  do  about  80  per  cent,  of  the  amount  of  trench  excava- 
tion which  can  be  done  by  hand  labor  at  about  60  per  cent,  of  the  cost. 

99.  Chicago  Trench  Excavator. — This  excavator  is  made  by  the 
F.  C.  Austin  Drainage  Excavator  Company  of  Chicago,  Illinois. 
The  following  table  gives  the  general  data  of  the  trench  excavators 
made  by  this  Company.  Sizes  Nos.  oco,  oo,  Special  oo  and  o  are 
generally  used  in  drainage  tile  work  and  will  be  described  in  Division 
II  of  this  chapter. 

This  excavator  consists  of  a  steel  frame  carrying  the  machinery 
and  at  the  rear  end  the  excavating  chain  and  its  framework.  The 
platform  is  made  up  of  steel  I-beams  strongly  framed  together  and 
supported  on  four  broad-tired  wheels.  For  soft  soil  excavation  the 
two  rear  wheels  are  generally  replaced  by  rolling  platform  tractors. 

The  boiler  is  mounted  on  the  front  part  of  the  platform  and  generally 
of  the  horizontal,  locomotive  type.  On  the  top  of  the  boiler  is  placed 
a  single-cylinder,  reversible  engine.  See  Fig.  118. 

The  main  shaft  of  the  engine  is  belt-connected  to  a  shaft  on  the 
rear  of  the  frame.  On  this  latter  shaft  is  a  sprocket  wheel  connected 
with  a  link-belt  driving-chain  to  the  shaft  at  the  head  of  the  cutter 
frame.  Similar  vertical  chains  drive  the  bevel  gears  which  operate 
the  belt  conveyor. 

A  sloping  frame  extends  over  the  rear  of  main  platform,  made  up 
of  two  channels  braced  at  intervals  with  cross-pieces.  This  frame 
supports  the  upper  end  of  the  excavating  chain  which  is  pivoted  to  a 
shaft  above  the  rear  end  of  the  main  platform.  The  excavating 
chain  is  carried  by  a  steel  frame  with  a  length  of  about  20  ft.  pivoted 
(as  noted  before)  at  its  upper  end  and  free  at  its  lower  end.  The 
shafts  at  the  ends  of  this  frame  are  provided  with  hexagonal  sprocket 
wheels  over  which  move  a  pair  of  endless  link-belt  chains.  These 


CHICAGO  TRENCH  EXCAVATOR 


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TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


Chicago  Trench  Excavator. 
Figure  118. 


Chicago  (Austin)  Trench  Excavator  Digging  a  Trench  26  inches  wide  and  15  feet 

deep. 
Figure  119. 


CHICAGO  TRENCH  EXCAVATOR  261 

chains  are  made  up  of  steel  drop-forged  links  connected  by  cross  bars 
and  the  steel  cutters  or  scrapers.  See  Figs.  1 18  and  119. 

The  scrapers  are  made  oval  in  shape  and  extend  slightly  beyond 
the  sides  of  the  chains  to  trim  the  side  of  the  trench  and  give  clearance 
for  the  cutter  frame. 

At  the  rear  end .  of  the  inclined  frame  are  two  vertical  bars,  the 
lower  ends  of  which  are  attached  to  the  cutter  frame.  These  bars 
have  racks  on  one  side,  and  are  operated  by  pinions  driven  by  gears. 
The  lowering  of  these  bars  forces  the  excavating  chain  into  the  soil 
and  furnishes  a  crowding  motion  for  keeping  the  chain  always  against 
the  face  and  bottom  of  the  trench.  The  excavating  chain  is  of  the 
up-digging  type,  similar  to  all  chain  and  wheel  machines  in  general 
use  at  the  present  time.  The  cutters  travel  up  along  the  face  or 
head  of  the  trench  removing  a  thin  slice  of  material  as  they  move  up- 
ward. At  the  top  sprocket  the  buckets  turn  over  and  deposit  the 
excavated  material  on  a  moving  belt  conveyor.  The  latter  carries 
the  material  to  one  side  of  the  trench  and  deposits  it  in  a  spoil  bank. 
The  depth  of  cut  is  regulated  by  raising  and  lowering  the  free  end 
of  the  frame.  When  obstructions  are  met  with  in  the  trench,  the 
chain  may  be  raised  over  them  and  fed  down  into  the  earth  on  the 
other  side.  This  excavator  will  dig  trenches  with  widths  of  from 
24  to  72  in.  and  up  to  a  depth  of  20  ft. 

The  front  axle  carries  a  sprocket  wheel  driven  by  a  link-belt  chain. 
The  traction  speed  of  the  machine  when  in  operation  is  given  in 
Table  XXV  on  page  259,  and  when  moving  over  ordinary  streets 
with  the  excavating  wheel  raised,  the  speed  is  about  i  mile  per  hour. 

9Qa.  Use  in  Illinois. — Two  Chicago  Sewer  Excavators  were  used 
in  Glencoe,  Illinois  for  the  excavation  of  trenches  for  a  sewer  sys- 
tem. The  following  gives  a  statement  of  the  character  of  the  work 
done: 

15,500  lin.  ft.  of    8-in.  pipe  from  8-  to  i2-ft.  cut. 
5,600  lin.  ft.  of  ro-in.  pipe  from  7-  to  i3-ft.  cut. 

250  lin.  ft.  of  i2-in.  pipe  of  about  i3-ft.  cut. 
1,000  lin.  ft.  of  i5-in.  pipe  of  about  i6-ft.  cut. 
4,700  lin.  ft.  of  i8-in.  pipe  of  shallow  to  30-ft.  cut. 

The  deepest  cut  of  30  ft.  was  made  by  grading  down  the  street 
3  to  4  ft.  and  then  using  the  excavator  for  the  next  25  ft.  The  re- 
maining foot  or  two  was  removed  by  hand  in  the  bottom  of  the 
trench  and  the  earth  thrown  into  the  boom  or  back  upon  the  laid 

Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  April  5,  1911. 


262  TRENCH  EXCA  VA  TORS 

pipe.  The  width  of  trench  cut  was  33  in.,  the  sides  were  cut  smooth 
and  vertical  and  braced  with  vertical  plank  and  pack  screws 
placed  about  3  ft.  apart  in  the  deep  trenches. 

The  soil  excavated  was  a  hard  clay.  The  upper  1 5  ft.  was  a  brown- 
ish clay  with  slight  traces  of  sand.  During  the  fall  and  winter 
months  this  material  became  hard,  too  hard  to  be  dug  by  hand 
without  the  use  of  a  pick.  The  excavator  removed  stones  up  to 
i  ft.  in  size  when  wholly  within  the  trench.  When  partly  outside 
of  the  trench  or  when  stones  of  larger  size  were  encountered,  they 
were  removed  by  blasting.  The  ground  was  frozen  at  times  up  to  a 
depth  of  from  14  to  16  in.  but  did  not  delay  the  work. 

The  work  was  carried  on  from  August  i,  1910,  to  January  i, 
1911.  The  following  table  gives  the  cost  per  day  for  the  excavation 
of  a  trench  25  ft.  deep,  the  laying  of  i8-in.  pipe  and  back-filling. 

i  foreman,  $8.00 

Excavating  machine  including  operator,  40.00 

i  engineer,  4.00 

1  fireman,  3-co 
5  trenchmen  @  $3,  15.00 
20  laborers,  back-filling  @  $2.50,  50.00 

2  teams  @  $6,  12.00 
Coal,  5 .  oo 
Repairs  and  sundry  expenses,  10.00 

Total,  $147.00 

Length  of  trench  excavated  per  day,  So  ft. 

Cost  of  work,  $1.837  per  lineal  foot. 

100.  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher.— This  excavator  is  made  by  the 
Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher  Company  of  Findlay,  Ohio.  A  descrip- 
tion of  it  is  given  in  Division  2  of  this  chapter. 

looa.  Use  in  Colorado. — A  Buckeye  ditcher,  equipped  with  a 
28-in.  by  7^-ft.  excavating-bucket  chain,  was  used  in  the  excava- 
tion of  the  earth  section  of  a  trench  for  a  wooden  water-pipe  line  in 
Greeley,  Colorado. 

The  trench  was  30  in.  wide  and  4  ft.  deep  and  about  35^  miles 
long.  The  material  for  8  miles  was  gravel,  occasionally  cemented 
together  and  containing  many  stones.  For  the  remainder  of  the 
distance,  the  material  was  a  tough  clay. 

The  following  data  gives  the  amount  of  excavation,  cost  of  opera- 
tion of  ditcher  and  of  excavation. 

Total  length  of  ditch  excavated,  188,080  ft. 
Total  amount  of  excavation,  69,659  cu.  yd. 


BUCKEYE  TRACTION  DITCHER  263 

Total  time  employed,  300  lo-hour  days. 
Maximum  excavation  in  gravel,  per  day,  370  cu.  yd. 
Maximum  excavation  in  clay,  per  day,  925  cu.  yd. 
Average  daily  excavation,  232  cu.  yd. 
Average  daily  progress,  627  lin.  ft. 


Labor: 


i  engineer  @  $5  per  day,  $1,500.00 

3  helpers  @  $3  per  day,  2,700.00 


Total  labor  cost,  $4200.00, 

'  Fuel: 

300  tons  of  coal  @  $5,  $1,500.00 

Miscellaneous : 

Interest,  depreciation  and  repairs  @  $6, 

Total  operating  expense  for  300  days, 
The  cost  per  lineal  foot  of  trench  was  as  follows: 

Engineer,  $0.008 

Helpers,  0.014 

Coal,  0.008 

Plant,  o.oio 


Total  cost  per  lineal  foot,  $0.040 

The  cost  per  cubic  yard  of  material  excavated  was  as  follows: 

Engineer,  $0.021 

Helpers,  0.040 

Coal,  0.021 

Plant,  0.025 


Total  cost  per  cubic  yard,  $o.  107 

The  above  cost  data  do  not  include  general  expenses,  back-filling, 
moving  the  ditcher  to  and  from  the  job,  etc. 

The  original  cost  of  the  machine  was  $5,200  and  its  working 
weight  about  17  tons.  The  plant  charges  were  estimated  at  about 
30  per  cent,  per  annum  on  the  original  cost  and  assuming  the  life 
of  the  machine  as  five  years. 

C.  THE  TRESTLE  CABLE  EXCAVATOR 

101.  General  Description. — This  type  of  excavator  has  been  in 
use  in  this  country  during  the  past  30  years  for  the  excavation  and 


264  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

filling  of  trenches  for  waterworks  and  sewer  systems.  It  has  be- 
come quite  popular  and  is  very  efficient.  Its  advantages  are  the 
restriction  of  the  work  to  the  immediate  area  of  the  trench,  the 
non-obstruction  of  a  part  of  the  street,  allowing  public  traffic  to  go 
on,  and  the  easy  and  safe  method  of  operation. 

The  excavator  consists  of  an  overhead  track  supported  by  a 
series  of  trestles  or  bents,  which  rest  on  the  ground  or  on  a  track. 
Along  this  track  one  or  more  carriers  are  moved  by  a  cable,  operated 
by  a  common  double-drum  friction  hoisting  engine.  The  carriers 
support  tubs  or  buckets  which  are  filled  by  the  men  in  the  trench, 
raised  up  simultaneously,  moved  horizontally  as  far  as  is  desired 
and  dumped  by  being  tilted  over  the  completed  work  or  into 
wagons.  The  empty  tubs  are  then  returned  to  the  excavation, 
lowered  into  the  trench  and  replaced  by  other  tubs,  which  are  filled 
while  the  first  set  is  being  removed  and  emptied. 

For  trenches  up  to  60  in.  in  width  a  single  track  is  generally  used, 
but  for  wider  trenches  a  double  track  is  found  to  be  economical. 

The  whole  framework  rests  on  wheels,  including  the  platform 
carrying  the  machinery  and  as  soon  as  the  excavation  in  one  divi- 
sion of  the  trench  is  completed,  the  excavator  moves  forward  by 
its  own  power  to  a  new  section  of  track.  The  framework  can  be 
arranged  to  work  at  railroad  crossings  without  interference  with 
trains  and  can  also  work  around  curves.  The  following  table  gives 
a  description  of  the  six  standard  sizes  which  are  generally  used. 

Figure  1 20  shows  a  six-bucket  machine  used  in  the  excavation  of  a 
sewer  trench  in  Winnipeg,  Manitoba,  Canada. 

The  manufacturers  make  the  following  recommendations  as  regards 
the  sizes  of  machine  to  be  used  on  different  classes  of  work.  "For 
trenches  6  ft.  or  less  in  width,  and  for  all  trenches  where  decided  curves 
or  right-angle  turns  are  to  be  made,  we  recommend  a  single  machine. 
Either  our  Four  Traveler  Machine  (" Argus "),  working  a  section  32 
ft.  long,  or  our  Six  Traveler  Machine,  ("Youth"),  working  a  section 
48  ft.  long  can  be  used,  depending  upon  the  rapidity  with  which  the 
work  is  to  be  pushed.  Where  hard  material  is  met  with,  it  is  often 
desirable  with  the  Four  Traveler  Machine,  to  use  three  sets  of  tubs 
and  work  two  bottoms  or  64  ft.  at  a  time,  the  tubs  being  hoisted  first 
from  one  section  and  then  from  another.  For  trenches  6  ft.  wide  or 
wider  we  recommend  our  Eight  Traveler  Double  Machine  ("Bolt") 
as  an  all-around  one,  and  often  two  bottoms  are  worked  at  a  time  with 
it,  the  tubs  being  taken  first  from  one. section  and  then  from  another, 
or  it  may  be  that  one  section  is  excavated  to  a  convenient  depth  and 


TRESTLE  CABLE  EXCAVATOR 


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266 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


then  left  for  sheeting  while  the  excavation  is  going  on  in  the  adjacent 
section.  For  a  sand  or  gravel  trench  our  Twelve  Traveler  Double 
Machine  ("Xenia")  is  particularly  adapted,  and  when  great  speed  is 
desired  in  loose  material  our  Sixteen  Traveler  Double  Machine 
(" Crown")  should  be  used." 

For  trenches  through  sand,  gravel  and  clay,  ranging  in  width  from 
8  or  12  ft.  to  20  ft.,  the  same  company  makes  a  special  type  of  excava- 
tor known  as  the  " Carson-Trainor  Machine."  This  excavator  is  a 
hoisting  and  conveying  device  similar  to  the  regular  trench  machine. 
A  series  of  A-shaped  trestles,  resting  on  a  track,  support  an  overhead 


Trestle  Cable  Excavator  Operating  in  Sewer  Trench  Construction. 
Figure  120. 

trackway  made  up  of  a  double  channel  beam.  A  traveler  runs  upon 
the  lower  flange  of  this  girder,  and  is  held  in  position  or  drawn  back- 
ward and  forward  by  an  endless  steel  traversing  rope  attached  to  a 
special  drum  of  the  engine.  The  hoisting  is  done  by  a  separate  steel 
cable  attached  to  the  main  drum  of  the  engine.  The  machinery,  con- 
sisting of  the  boiler  and  the  engine,  is  mounted  on  a  covered  car, 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  excavation.  The  whole  framework  has  a 
gage  of  1 6  ft.,  a  height  from  ground  to  peak  of  20  ft.,  and  a  working 
section  of  288  ft. 

'  The  following  tables  show  the  dimensions  and  capacities  of  the 
various  sizes  of  machine: 


TRESTLE  CABLE  EXCAVATOR 


267 


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TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


A  view  of  a  " Carson-Trainor  Machine"  excavating  a  sewer  trench 
in  Winnipeg,  Manitoba,  Canada,  is  shown  in  Fig.  121. 

The  following  detailed  specifications  are  for  a  single  traveler  machine 
equipped  with  tubs  of  i  cu.  yd.  capacity  and  working  288  ft.  of  trench. 


Carson-Trainor"  Trench  Excavator  on  Sewer  Trench  Construction. 
Figure  121. 


ENGINE 

This  engine  has  8j-in.  by  zo-in.  double  cylinders,  with  cranks  con- 
nected at  an  angle  of  90  degrees,  and  is  fitted  with  reversible  link  mo- 
tion. The  drums  are  of  the  Beekman  patent  friction  type,  one  carries 
the  hoisting  rope,  and  the  other  is  turned  with  a  curved  surface,  and 
carries  the  endless  rope.  The  endless  rope  is  wrapped  around  the 
drum  seven  times — enough  to  secure  sufficient  friction  to  keep  it  from 
slipping  in  the  opposite  direction  to  that  in  which  the  drum  is  turn- 
ing— and  the  ends  are  passed  over  sheave  wheels  on  the  trestles,  and 
made  fast  to  the  front  and  rear  of  the  traveling  carriage. 

The  hoisting  drum  is  entirely  independent  of  the  other,  and,  being 
of  the  same  diameter,  winds  at  the  same  rate  of  speed,  and  keeps 
the  load  at  the  same  height  while  conveying,  if  desired.  This  drum 
also  has  a  self-acting  bank  brake,  by  means  of  which  the  load  can  be 
held  positively.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  this  independent  action 
f  the  drums  gives  the  operator  perfect  command  over  the  apparatus, 


TRESTLE  CABLE  EXCAVATOR  269 

as  he  can  use  the  drums  together,  or  he  can  hold  either  of  them  and 
use  the  other.  The  reversing  lever,  friction,  and  brake  levers  are  all 
brought  to  a  convenient  position,  so  that  the  operator  can  work  all 
of  them  without  difficulty.  The  engine  is  fitted  with  two  winch 
heads. 

BOILER 

One  vertical  boiler,  42  in.  diameter,  by  90  in.  high,  containing  80 
2 -in.  tubes,  securely  bolted  and  braced  to  bed  plate  of  engine, 
and  provided  with  safety-valve,  steam-gage,  water-gage,  three  gage- 
cocks,  blow-off  cock,  injector,  stack,  steam-pipe  connection  to  cylin- 
ders, with  throttle-valve,  exhaust-pipe  into  stack,  set  of  grates,  and 
two  fire  tools. 

ENGINE  CAR 

The  engine  end  of  conveyor  has  a  platform  18  ft.  wide  by  16  ft. 
long,  built  of  eight  pieces  of  6  by  10  stock  running  crosswise,  and 
four  pieces  running  lengthwise,  securely  bolted  together  and  mounted 
on  four  car  wheels  15  in.  diameter,  with  steel  pins  and  cast  bearings. 

Flooring  is  of  2-in.  plank,  on  which  is  erected  a  suitable  house, 
built  in  sections  and  covered  with  two-ply  roofing  felt.  The  head 
trestle  of  the  machine  rests  upon  and  is  securely  braced  to  this  engine 
car,  and  is  equipped  with  the  necessary  sheaves,  shafts,  etc. 

TRESTLES 

Nineteen  A-shaped  trestles,  i6-ft.  gage,  made  of  6  by  8  stock, 
with  4  by  10  headers,  20  ft.  high,  braced  and  bolted,  and  provided 
with  castor  frames,  wheels,  etc. 

CONNECTING  BARS 

Thirty-eight  connecting  bars  made  of  two  and  one-half  inch 
tubular  steel  with  connections  and  bolts  complete. 

HOISTING  AND  TRAVERSING  ROPES 

Hoisting  and  traversing  ropes  are  of  crucible  steel  f  in.  diameter, 
and  of  sufficient  length  to  operate  machine  and  allow  for  hoisting 
from  any  point  in  a  trench  35  ft.  deep.  One  Manila  rope  of  sufficient 
length  to  pull  machine  100  ft.  ahead  is  furnished. 


270  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

THE  RAILS 

Enough  T-rail,  25  Ib.  per  yard,  on  which  to  place  machine  and 
move  it  ahead  100  ft. 

GIRDERS 

Twenty  girders  for  upper  track,  made  of  solid,  riveted,  double- 
section,  15  Ib.  to  the  foot,  lo-in.  steel  channel  beams,  with  hangers 
and  shackle  plates. 

HANGERS 

The  steel  girders  are  suspended  from  the  trestles  and  clamped 
together  by  our  patented  Mills  adjustable  angle-iron  hangers,  which, 
giving  the  girders  a  bottom  bearing,  prevent  any  unevenness  in  the 
track,  and  also  keep  the  girders  from  twisting. 

TRAVELER 

The  carriage  or  traveler  is  made  of  Norway  iron,  has  eight  single 
flange  running  wheels,  and  a  i6-in.  hoisting  wheel,  with  steel  bolts, 
pins,  and  shackles  complete. 

BLOCK 

Fall  block  is  of  our  heavy  type  with  i6-in.  sheave,  and  loose  swivel 
hook,  with  safety  handle  attached. 

TUBS 

Five  sheet-steel  tubs  of  27  cu.  ft.  capacity,  with  double  bottoms, 
and  provided  with  automatic  catches.  These  tubs  are  self-dumping, 
when  unlatched,  and  self-righting. 

DUTY 

This  machine,  when  set  up  complete,  is  capable  of  hoisting  5,000 
Ib.,  at  a  speed  of  225  ft.  per  minute,  and  conveying  the  same  at  a 
speed  of  450  ft.  per  minute. 

Under  ordinary  conditions,  it  will  be  profitable  to  use  a  trench 
machine  when  the  work  is  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  pay  for  the  invest- 
ment in  the  plant  and  where  the  trenching  will  average  over  9  ft.  in 
depth.  As  the^depth  increases  the  cost  of  excavation  by  hand  labor 
increases  rapidly,  while  the  cost  by  machine  is  nearly  the  same  per 
linear  foot  of  trench  without  regard  to  depth. 


TRESTLE  CA BLE  EXCA  VA  TOR  27 1 

loia.  Use  in  Connecticut. — A  six-tub  trench  machine  was  used 
about  20  years  ago  in  the  construction  of  the  boulevard  sewer  in  New 
Haven,  Connecticut.  The  following  is  the  report  of  Mr.  Henry  H. 
Gladding,  C.  E.,  who  had  charge  of  this  work: 

DETAILS  OF  WORK  AND  CAPACITY  OF  MACHINE 

Width  of  trench,  10  ft. 

Depth  of  trench,  30  to  31  ft. 

Material,  clean  sand. 

Distance  carried  back,  208  ft. 

Number  of  men  shovelling,  6. 

Engine,  Lidgerwood,  20  h.p. 

Steam  pressure,  100  Ib. 

Number  of  upper  tracks,  2. 

Number  of  travellers,  each  track,  6. 

Number  of  buckets,  each  track,  6. 

Number  of  buckets  in  use,  18. 

Number  of  buckets  per  trip,  6. 

Ordinary  load,  per  bucket,  4.2  cu.  ft. 

Ordinary  load,  per  trip,  0.93  cu.  yd. 

Average  time  per  trip,  i  min.  14  sec. 

Number  of  trips  per  hour,  48.7. 

Amount  handled  per  hour,  45.3  cu.  yd. 

Length  of  day,  10  hours. 

Deduct  for  moving  engine  ahead,  adjusting  buffer,  tightening  bolts, 

and  all  delays  incidental  to  operating  the  machine,  \  hour. 
Effective  time  per  day,  q\  hours. 
Capacity  per  day,  430  cu.  yd. 
Best  time  observed,  9  trips  in  10  min. 
Quickest  trip  observed,  i  min.  2  sec. 

Frequent  runs  of  four  to  five  hours  are  made,  stopping  only  to  shift  from  one 
section  to  another. 

Four  hundred  and  thirty  cubic  yards  per  day  is  a  fair,  conservative  estimate 
of  the  capacity  of  the  machine  under  the  conditions  here  existing. 

It  is  based  on  a  considerable  number  of  observations  when  working  at  different 
stages  from  the  surface  to  the  full  depth  of  the  trench;  the  time  in  the  middle 
third  being  somewhat  better  than  the  average  of  the  top  and  bottom.  The 
deepest  part  of  the  work  has  not  yet  been  reached;  it  will  exceed  40  ft. 

Assuming  nine  trips  in  10  minutes  the  best  time  observed,  the  output  would 
be  at  the  rate  of  427  cu.  yd  per  day;  this  would  be  likely  to  occur  only  with  the 
minimum  vertical  travel,  and  therefore  only  for  a  short  time  in  each  section. 
With  this  condition,  and  with  all  circumstances  favorable,  it  might  be  possible 
to  push  the  machine  to  a  rate  of  500  cu.  yd.  per  day;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  any  net 
increase  in  economy  would  result  from  a  speed  much  in  excess  of  the  average 
given  in  this  report,  owing  to  the  excessive  wear  and  strain  developed  in  the  engine 
and  framework,  and  also  on  account  of  the  greater  number  of  men  required  to 
fill  and  empty  the  buckets. 


272  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

OPERATING  EXPENSES,  ETC. 

Engineer,  $2.50  per  day 

Fireman,  i .  50  per  day 

Six  shovellers  @  $i .  50,  9 .  oo  per  day 

Signal  man,  i .  50  per  day 

Dump  man,  i .  35  per  day 

\  ton  of  coal  @  $3 . 80,  i .  90  per  day 

Rent  of  machine,  10.00  per  day 

Rent  of  engine,  2 . 50  per  day 

Total,  $30.  25  per  day 

Daily  capacity  of  machine,  430  cu.  yd. 

Cost  per  cubic  yard  for  shovelling  into  tubs,  raising  from  an  average  depth  of 
17  ft,  carrying  back  about  208  ft,  7  cents. 

This  conclusion  is  upon  the  supposition  that  the  machine  is  running  all  the  time, 
with  no  delay  for  sheathing  and  bracing;  a  condition  never  realized  in  practice. 

In  this  particular  instance  it  requires  scarcely  half  as  long  to  excavate  a  section 
as  to  tight-sheath,  brace,  and  bulkhead  the  same  as  thoroughly  as  is  demanded 
by  the  depth  of  the  trench  and  the  looseness  of  the  material,  five  tier  of  sheathing 
being  required. 

During  perhaps  one-half  of  this  idle  time,  which  comes  in  short  spells,  the 
shovellers,  signal  man,  and  dump  man  can  be  employed  on  other  work,  thus 
deducting,  say,  $2.75  from  the  daily  expense  for  handling  the  sand;  so  that  the 
actual  cost  per  cubic  yard,  reckoning  only  half  duty  from  the  machine,  would 
be  $27. 50-^215  =  13  cents. 

October  16  the  trench  was  advancing  an  average  distance  of  151*0  ft.  per  day, 
and  had  a  depth  of  37  ft.,  with  the  constant  width  of  10  ft.,  making  the  daily 
excavation  about  211  cu.  yd.,  nearly  the  same  as  deduced  above. 

While  it  is  hardly  practicable  to  obtain  a  very  precise  rating  of  the  performance 
of  such  a  machine,  I  believe  the  figures  and  deductions  given  herewith  are 
substantially  correct 

D.  THE  TOWER  CABLEWAY  i 

1 02.  General  Description. — The  tower  cableway  excavator  is  a 
hoisting  and  conveying  device  using  a  suspended  wire  cable  as  a  track- 
way.    The  steel  cable  or  rope  is  fastened  at  each  end  to  a  tower  or 
trestle  about  30  ft.  in  height.     The  towers  are  placed  about  250  ft. 
apart  so  that  200  ft.  of  sewer  can  be  completed  at  one  set  up.     Upon 
the  cable  one  or  more  travelers  are  operated.     They  are  held  in  posi- 
tion or  moved  backward  and  forward  by  an  endless  steel  traversing 
rope  attached  to  a  special  drum  of  the  engine.     The  hoisting  is  done  by 
an  independent  steel  rope  operated  by  the  regular  drum  of  the  engine. 
At  one  end  of  the  excavation  is  placed  the  machinery,  consisting  of  the 
boiler  and  engine,  mounted  on  a  covered  car  which  moves  along  on  a 
track. 

103.  Carson-Lidgerwood  Cableway. — This  excavator  is  made  in 
the  four  sizes  given  in  the  following  table: 


TOWER  CABLEWAY  EXCAVATOR 


273 


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274  TRENCH  EXCA  VA  TORS 

The  following  specifications  will  give  a  detailed  description  of  the 
design  and  construction  of  this  excavator: 

Single  traveler,  3oo-ft.  span.     Tubs  of  i  cu.  yd.  capacity. 

ENGINE 

The  engine  has  8jXio-in.  double  cylinders,  with  cranks  con- 
nected at  an  angle  of  90  degrees,  and  is  fitted  with  reversible  link 
motion.  The  drums  are  of  the  Beekman  patent  friction  type,  one 
carrying  the  hoisting  rope,  and  the  other  is  turned  with  a  curved  sur- 
face and  carries  the  endless  rope.  The  endless  rope  is  wrapped  around 
the  drum  five  or  more  times — enough  to  secure  sufficient  friction  to 
keep  it  from  slipping  in  the  opposite  direction  to  that  in  which  the 
drum  is  turning — and  the  ends  are  passed  over  sheave  wheels  on  the 
trestles  and  made  fast  to  the  front  and  rear  of  the  traveling  carriage. 

The  hoisting  drum  is  entirely  independent  of  the  other,  and,  being 
of  the  same  diameter,  winds  at  the  same  rate  of  speed,  and  keeps  the 
load  at  the  same  height  while  conveying,  if  so  desired.  This  drum  also 
has  a  self-acting  band  brake,  by  means  of  which  the  load  can  be  held 
positively.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  this  independent  action  of  the 
drums  gives  the  operator  perfect  command  over  the  apparatus,  as  he 
can  use  the  drums  together,  or  he  can  hold  either  of  them,  and  use  the 
other.  The  reversing  lever,  friction,  and  brake  levers  are  all  brought 
to  a  convenient  position,  so  that  the  operator  can  work  all  of  them 
without  difficulty.  The  engine  is  fitted  with  two  winch  heads. 

BOILER 

One  vertical  boiler  42  in.  diameter  by  90  in.  high,  containing  80 
2-in.  tubes,  securely  bolted  and  braced  to  bed  plate  of  engine,  and 
provided  with  safety-valve,  steam-gage,  water-gage,  three  gage-cocks, 
blow-off  cock,  injector,  stack,  steam-pipe  connection  to  cylinders  with 
throttle-valve,  exhaust-pipe  into  stack,  set  of  grates  and  three  fire 
tools. 

CABLE 

The  main  cable  is  of  crucible  steel,  ij  in.  diameter,  and  suffi- 
ciently long  to  allow  for  a  span  of  300  ft.  between  trestles,  and  to 
reach  anchors  placed  60  ft.  from  each  trestle,  it  is  provided  with  four 
loops  each  26  ft.  long,  with  thimble  spliced  in  each  end. 

Hoisting  and  traversing  ropes  are  of  crucible,  steel  f  in.  diameter, 


CABLEWAY  EXCAVATORS  275 

and  of  sufficient  length  to  operate  machine  and  allow  for  a  trench 
35  ft.  deep. 

One  turnbuckle,  ?J  in.  diameter,  30  in.  long,  is  placed  at  one  end 
of  cable  to  take  up  slack. 

TRAVELER 

The  traveler  is  made  of  f  X3  in.  wrought  iron,  securely  bolted 
and  braced,  with  i2-in.  top  sheaves,  and  i6-in.  hoisting  sheave. 

It  has  one  or  more  patented  fall  rope  carriers  with  suitable  at- 
tachments and  fittings. 

One  fall  block  with  16  in.  sheave  and  substantial  hook,  with 
safety  handle  attached. 

TUBS 

Five  sheet-steel  tubs  of  27  cu.  ft.  capacity,  with  double  bottoms, 
and  provided  with  automatic  catches. 

ENGINE  HOUSE 

Platform  of  engine  house  is  10  ft.  wide  by  16  ft.  long,  built  of  eight 
pieces  of  6X10  spruce  running  crosswise,  and  four  pieces  of  spruce 
running  lengthwise,  securely  bolted  together  and  mounted  on  four 
car  wheels,  15  in.  in  diameter,  with  steel  pins  and  cast  bearings. 

Flooring  is  of  spruce  2  in.  thick,  on  which  is  erected  a  suitable 
house  built  in  sections,  and  covered  with  two-ply  roofing  felt. 
Six  pieces  of  25-lb.  T-rail  with  fishplates  and  spikes. 

TRESTLES 

Two  spruce  trestles  made  of  8X10,  30  ft.  high,  braced,  bolted, 
and  strapped,  and  provided  with  saddles,  sheaves,  shafts,  eyebolts, 
galvanized  guys  i  in.  in  diameter,  of  sufficient  length  to  hold  frames 
in  position,  clips  and  shackles. 

DUTY 

This  cableway  when  set  up  complete  is  capable  of  hoisting  5,000 
Ib.  at  a  speed  of  225  ft.  per  minute,  and  of  conveying  same  at  a  speed 
of  450  ft.  per  minute. 

Figure  122  shows  a  cableway  excavating  sewer  trench  at  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri. 


276 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


Use  in  Washington,  D.C. — The  following  report  is  given 
to  show  the  use  of  one  of  these  cableways,  for  the  excavation  of 
a  sewer  trench  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  about  18  years  ago  (1895). 


Cableway  Excavator  Digging  a  Sewer  Trench. 
Figure  122. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  or  THE  WORK 

The  Easby's  Point  sewer  for  about  1,100  ft.  from  the  outlet  is  D-shaped,  n  ft. 
3  in.  in  width  and  n  ft.  3  in.  in  height,  and  rests  on  a  pile  foundation.  This 
is  followed  by  a  circular  section  n  ft.  3  in.  in  diameter  for  a  distance  of  about 
2,400  ft.,  then  about  1,000  ft.  of  10  ft.  6  in.,  then  about  1,600  ft.  of  9  ft.  6  in. 

The  first  1,200  ft.  of  the  n  ft.  3  in.  circular  is  in  a  cut  varying  from  12  ft. 
to  40  ft.  in  depth,  with  about  10  ft.  of  clay  and  rotten  rock  on  top  of  solid  rock. 
This  rock,  while  very  hard,  is  badly  broken  up  by  seams  running  in  every  direc- 
tion and  at  all  angles  with  the  horizon. 

In  spite  of  the  most  careful  blasting  and  heavy  bracing,  the  line  of  fracture 
would  follow  these  seams  to  .the  surface,  bringing  in  large  masses  outside  the 
regular  width  of  excavation.  About  1,000  lin.  ft.  of  this  work  were  done  by  steafn 
derricks,  and  in  places  the  slides  were  so  extensive  that  the  top  width  was  more 
than  50  ft.  The  normal  width  of  the  trench  was  18  ft. 

As  it  was  determined  to  increase  the  plant,  a  study  of  the  different  forms  of 
trench  machines  was  made,  and  the  trench  machines  spanning  the  ditch  were 
rejected  for  the  following  reasons. 


CABLEWA  Y  EXCA  VA  TORS  277 

1.  Experience  had  shown  that  it  would  not  be  safe  to  do  the  heavy  blasting 
required  under  them. 

2.  On  account  of  the  width  of  the  trench,  18  ft.,  heavy  timbering  would  be 
required  to  carry  the  machine,  and  in  event  of  a  slide  the  machine  would  be 
almost  certain  to  go  into  the  ditch. 

3.  As  about  3,000  ft.  of  the  remaining  distance  would  be  through  made  ground 
where  the  banks  could  not  be  depended  upon,  it  was  not  thought  advisable  to 
put  any  extra  weight  upon  them  or  to  subject  them  to  the  vibrations  which  would 
be  occasioned  by  a  machine  spanning  the  trench. 

As  a  cableway  was  not  open  to  any  of  these  objections,  an  order  was  given  for 
one  of  the  following: 

GENERAL  DIMENSIONS 

Length  between  end  frames,  300  ft. 
Total  length  between  anchorages,  430  ft. 
Height  of  frames,  32  ft. 
Diameter  of  main  cable  (steel),  i^  in. 

CYLINDER  DIMENSIONS 

Engine,  Lidgerwood,  SfXio  in. 
Speed  of  hoisting,  250  ft.  per  minute. 
Speed  of  conveying,  400  ft.  per  minute. 
Lifting  capacity,  5,000  Ib. 
Size  of  buckets,  i  cu.  yd. 

CHARACTER  AND  AMOUNT  OF  WORK 

Width  of  trench,  18  ft. 

Depth  of  lower  shelf  of  trench  on  which  cableway  was  started,  15  ft. 
Distance  of  carriage,  150  ft. 
Number  of  trips  per  hour,  35. 
Number  of  hours  per  day,  8. 
Number  of  cubic  yards  excavated  per  day,  280. 

The  material  was  cemented  gravel  and  rotten  rock  which  could  have  been 
removed  cheaper  by  blasting  than  by  picking. 

OPERATING  EXPENSES  PER  DAY 

Engineer,  $2.00 

Fireman,  I  •  25 

Signal  man,  I  •  °° 

Two  dumpers  @  $i  2.00 

Coal,  oil,  and  waste,  i  •  5° 

Interest  and  maintenance  (estimated),  7-°° 


$14-75 
Cost  of  picking  and  shoveling  into  tubs,  30  men,  at  $i,    $30.00 

$44-75 


278  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

Cost  of  picking,  shoveling  into  tubs,  hoisting  from  trench  15  ft.  deep,  conveying 
150  ft.  and  dumping  into  wagons,  16  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

Cost  for  hoisting,  conveying,  and  dumping,  5T3ff  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

At  the  same  time  the  excavating  was  going  on,  bracing  and  sheathing  was  being 
.done,  so  that  this  represents  what  can  be  done  in  the  regular  order  of  working, 
and  was  not  a  spurt  to  see  what  the  machine  could  do  when  pressed.  In  fact, 
none  of  the  men  knew  that  the  machine  was  being  timed. 

The  conditions  under  which  the  machine  was  working  were  not  favorable  for 
making  a  record,  as  the  bracing  in  the  trench  was  too  close  together  for  the  size 
of  tub  used.  The  engineer  was  a  new  man  at  the  machine,  although  used  to 
running  a  hoisting  engine.  Dumping  into  wagons  consumed  much  more  time 
than  would  have  been  required  to  dump  on  the  work. 

I  think  300  cu.  yd.  can  easily  be  handled  in  a  day  of  eight  hours  in  fairly  good 
material  in  regular  work,  and  no  doubt  under  favorable  circumstances  the 
machine  could  be  pushed  much  beyond  this  limit  for  a  short  time. 

The  machine  has  been  at  work  about  three  weeks,  but  owing  to  the  depth  of 
the  trench,  30  to  40  ft.,  and  the  quantity  of  rock  to  be  removed,  it  has  not  been 
moved.  I  am  therefore  unable  to  say  how  long  this  would  take,  but  think  the 
machine  could  be  taken  down,  moved,  and  set  up  in  a  day  or  less. 

Since  the  engine  was  fairly  in  working  order  the  machine  has  not  been  stopped 
10  minutes  for  repairs  or  adjustment. 

(Signed)     FRANK  P.  DAVIS, 

'Civil  Engineer. 

104.  S.  Flory  Cableway. — The  S.  Flory  Mfg.  Co.  of  Bangor,  Pa.,  has 
been  supplying  cableways  for  the  slate  quarries  of  eastern  Pennsylvania 
for  the  last  30  years.     Recently,  it  has  supplied  a  system  for  use  on 
trench  excavation.     Fig.  123  shows  a  cableway  of  4oo-ft.  span,  being 
used  in  the  construction  of  a  large  trunk  sewer. 

A  special  engine  is  used,  geared  for  high  speed  when  traversing  and 
lower  speed  for  hoisting.  The  hoisting  rope  is  taken  over  the  front 
sheave  in  the  carriage,  around  the  fall  block  and  over  the  back  sheave 
in  the  carriage  and  then  fastened  back  to  the  end  tower.  This  elimi- 
nates the  fall  rope  carriers  and  forms  a  two-part  hoisting  line. 

In  operation,  the  bucket  is  filled  and  then  raised  above  the  excava- 
tion hy  the  hoisting  drum,  which  is  then  thrown  out  of  gear  and  held 
with  a  brake.  The  traversing  line  is  then  put  in  operation  and  con- 
veyed in  either  direction.  When  the  bucket  has  reached  the  place  of 
disposal,  the  traversing  drum  is  thrown  out  of  gear  and  the  bucket 
lowered  by  means  of  the  brake  band  on  the  hoisting  drum. 

E.  THE  TRESTLE  TRACK  EXCAVATOR 

105.  General  Description. — This  type  of  excavator  is  similar  in  its 
method  of  operation  to  the  trestle  cable  excavator,  described  under 
division  C.     Instead  of  the  buckets  being  suspended  from  carriers 


TRESTLE  TRACK  EXCAVATOR 


279 


which  move  along  a  track,  they  are  carried  along  on  the  platform  of  a 
car  or  carriage,  which  moves  along  a  track  resting  on  the  tops  of  the 
trestles. 

106.  Potter  Trench  Machine. — This  excavator  is  manufactured  by 
the  Potter  Manufacturing  Company  of  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 

A  series  of  light  steel  trestles  of  trapezoidal  shape  are  spaced  about 
10  ft.  6  in.  on  centers  and  are  about  8  ft.  high.  These  trestles  are 


Cableway  used  on  Construction  of  Large  Sewer. 
Figure  123. 

mounted  on  double-flanged  wheels,  which  run  on  rails,  laid  on  either 
side  of  the  trench.  On  the  tops  of  the  trestles  are  framed  two  channels 
which  form  a  continuous  track  for  a  carriage  to  run  on. 

The  car  or  carriage  is  a  steel-framed  structure  supported  on  four 
wheels,  which  run  on  the  trestle  track,  and  is  operated  by  means  of 
cables  from  the  hoisting  engine  and  also  from  the  hoist.  See  Fig.  124. 

Each  car  operates  two  tilting  buckets  which  are  filled  by  men  in  the 
trench,  raised  by  the  hoist  to  the  car,  and  then  carried  along  to  the 


280 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


dumping  place.  Two  men  on  the  car  operate  the  hoist,  which  can 
raise  or  lower  either  one  or  both  of  the  buckets  at  a  time.  The  buckets 
are  made  in  three  sizes;  J,  f  and  i  cu.  yd.  capacities. 

At  one  end  of  the  trestle  is  placed  a  housed-in'platform  containing 


Trestle  Track  Excavator. 
Figure  124. 

the  boiler  and  engine.  The  platform  is  mounted  on  wheels  and  the 
whole  framework  can  be  moved  along  under  its  own  power.  The 
machine  covers  272  ft.  of  trench  at  a  time. 

The  machine  requires  three  men  for  operation,  one  to  operate  the 
hoisting  engine  and  two  on  the  carriage. 

io6a.  Use  in  Illinois.1 — A  Potter  Trench  Machine  was  used  during 
the  season  of  1907  in  the  excavation  of  a  large  sewer  trench  in  Chicago, 
Illinois. 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  October  9,  1907.' 


TILE  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS  281 

The  trench  had  a  width  of  21  ft.  and  an  average  depth  of  30.5  ft. 
The  materials  excavated  were,  a  top  layer  of  black  soil,  then  15  ft.  of 
soft  blue  clay,  6  to  8  ft.  of  stiff  blue  clay,  i  ft.  of  sandy  loam  and  finally 
about  2  ft.  of  hard  blue  clay. 

The  trench  machine  followed  a  derrick  crane  and  excavated  the 
last  1 2  to  14  ft.  in  depth.  Six  buckets  with  a  capacity  of  J  cu.  yd.  each 
were  used  and  so  arranged  that  four  were  in  the  trench  being  filled 
while  the  remaining  two  were  being  carried  away  on  the  carriage  and 
dumped. 

The  following  table  gives  the  cost  of  excavation  on  the  basis  of  an 
eight-hour  working  day: 

Labor: 

i  engineer, 
fireman, 

carriage  operator, 
carriage  helper, 

20  laborers  in  trench,  @  $2.  75, 
laborer  on  dump, 
foreman, 

Total  labor  cost,  $75 .  50 

Fuel: 

%  ton  coal  @  $5,  $2.50 

Rent  of  machine  @  $125  per  month,  $4. 80 


Total,  $82.80 

Average  daily  excavation,  175  cu.  yd. 

Average  cost  of  excavation;  $82. 80 -1-175  =$0.47  Per  cubic  yard. 

SECTION  II.  TILE  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

no.  Field  of  Work. — Until  about  n  years  ago  (1902),  most  of  the 
trench  excavation  for  drain  tile  was  made  by  hand  labor.  As  this 
class  of  drainage  work  became  more  general,  especially  in  the  states  of 
Illinois,  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  various  forms  of  machinery  were 
devised  to  meet  the  increased  need.  At  the  present  time,  there  are 
at  least  three  tile  ditchers  which  have  demonstrated  their  efficiency 
under  favorable  conditions.  Where  the  ground  is  fairly  level,  free 
from  large,  heavy  obstructions  and  not  too  hard,  these  machines 
will  be  found  very  efficient  and  more  economical  than  hand  labor. 

in.  The  Buckeye  Tile  Ditcher.— The  Buckeye  Tile  Ditcher  is  a 
traction  engine  on  the  rear  end  of  which  is  hinged  a  frame  which 


282 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


carries  an  excavating  wheel  provided  with  buckets  placed  around 
its  periphery.  These  machines  are  made  in  a  number  of  sizes  as 
given  by  the  following  table: 


Number 

Size 

Approximate  wt.  in  tons 

i 

i,iin.X4ift. 

5* 

2 

14^  in.X4l  ft. 

61 

3 

15    in.X5s  ft. 

85 

4 

20    in.Xsl  ft- 

ii 

5 

20    in.Xy-i-  ft. 

13^ 

7 

24    in.Xy^  ft. 

15 

8 

28    in.Xylft. 

18 

9 

32    in.  X  7*  ft. 

20^ 

10 

36    in.XyHt. 

24 

ii 

42    in.Xyfft. 

27 

12 

48    in.XyHt. 

29 

13 

54    in.XyHt. 

32 

These  various  numbers  are  all  made  alike,  differing  only  in  size 
and  a  detailed  description  of  No.  2  will  suffice  for  all. 

This  machine  will  excavate  a  trench  14^  in.  wide  and  4^  ft.  deep. 
It  consists  of  a  steel  frame  12  ft.  long  and  4  ft.  wide  supported  on 
four  wide  steel  wheels.  The  wheel  centers  of  each  pair  are  6  ft.  4  in. 
apart  and  the  axles  are  7  ft.  on  centers.  As  will  be  seen  from  an 
inspection  of  Fig.  125,  the  rear  axle  has  a  sprocket  which  carries  a 
chain  belt  operated  by  a  set  of  gears  on  the  engine. 

On  the  front  end  of  the  truck  is  placed  an  8-h.p.  vertical  boiler, 
which  furnishes  steam  for  the  6-h.p.  single  engine  located  directly 
back  of  it. 

Attached  to  the  rear  end  of  the  truck  is  the  wheel  frame,  connected 
with  a  cross-bar,  which  moves  vertically  between  two  posts.  The 
front  part  of  the  frame  can  be  raised  and  lowered  by  means  of  a 
ratchet  wheel.  The  rear  part  of  the  frame  is  connected  to  sheaves 
at  the  top  of  the  vertical  frame  by  cables,  which  may  be  operated 
to  raise  the  wheel  from  the  ground  when  it  is  desired  to  move  the 
machine  from  one  trench  to  another. 

The  wheel  frame  carries  an  open  wheel  8  ft.  in  diameter  and  i2\ 
in.  wide.  This  wheel  has  no  axle,  but  revolves  by  means  of  four 
anti-friction  wheels  placed  inside  the  rim.  See  (8)  and  (9)  in  Fig.  126. 

On  the  outer  rim  of  the  wheel  are  placed  14  buckets  as  shown  by 


BUCKEYE  TRACTION  DITCHER 


283 


Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher. 
Figure  125. 


'/y/»*«v    w 

At/  t    _    N,        j.0 1 

«  .  /^//  "•'  I 

^l^'// 


8 — I 


»rcv 


^^r ».  s\/vis 
53r353j>'r' ,IJX    X-X    / 


I     V    >    .*<* 


14 


Diagram  of  Excavating  Wheel  of  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher. 
Figure  126. 


284  TRENCH  EXCA  VA  TORS 

(3).  These  buckets  have  a  top  and  back,  but  no  bottom.1  They 
are  shaped  somewhat  like  the  bowl  of  a  drag-scraper;  and,  in  fact, 
they  act  very  much  like  a  drag-scraper  in  digging ;  for  as  the  excavating 
wheel  revolves,  each  bucket  cuts  off  a  slice  of  earth  of  its  own  capacity. 
Now,  this  earth  would  fall  out  when  the  bucket  rises  above  the  surface 
of  the  ground  if  it  were  not  for  the  high-carbon  steel  arc,  marked  (13) 
in  Fig.  126.  This  arc  does  not  revolve,  as  it  is  not  fastened  to  the 
wheel.  When  an  excavating  bucket  reaches  the  end  of  the  arc  near 
the  top  of  the  wheel,  the  dirt  falls  out  of  the  bucket  upon  the  belt 
conveyor.  This  conveyor,  which  is  marked  (10),  carries  the  dirt 
off  outside  of  the  trench  where  it  piles  up.  It  will  be  noted  that  the 
dirt  slides  over  the  stationary  arc  (13)  only  a  short  distance  near  the 
top  of  the  wheel,  hence  there  is  very  little  wear  on  the  arc.  As  we 
have  said,  the  excavating  wheel  does  not  have  an  axle;  it  is  made 
to  revolve  by  a  pair  of  driving  sprockets  (7),  which  mesh  with  the 
segmental  gearing  (6).  It  should  be  noted  that  the  driving  sprocket 
(7)  is  directly  above  the  point  where  the  earth  is  being  excavated, 
so  that  the  force  is  applied  directly.  Thus  the  weight  of  the  excavat- 
ing wheel  is  far  less  than  would  be  necessary  were  it  driven  from  an 
axle,  involving  also  great  torsional  strain.  What  is  even  more  impor- 
tant, the  -excavating  wheel  can  dig  into  the  ground  to  a  depth  of 
nearly  two-thirds  its  diameter,  so  that  with  a  comparatively  small 
wheel  a  great  depth  of  trench  is  secured. 

"It  will  be  seen  that  the  excavating  wheel  is  supported  between  two 
beams,  marked  (n),  which  can  be  raised  and  lowered.  The  rear  end  of 
the  frame  is  supported  by  a  post,  to  the  lower  end  of  which  is  fastened  a 
shoe  (14).  This  shoe  slides  along  the  bottom  of  the  finished  trench,  thus 
giving  great  stability  to  the  wheel  and  preventing  wabbling.  The  side 
cutters  (5),  are  bolted  to  the  rims  of  the  excavating  wheel.  They  serve 
to  slice  the  earth  from  the  sides  of  the  trench,  and  prevent  the  excavating 
buckets  from  sticking  or  becoming  bound  in  the  trench.  Moreover,  they 
scrape  all  the  dirt  toward  the  center  of  the  trench,  where  the  buckets  pick 
it  up,  leaving  a  perfectly  clean  cut." 

When  excavating  in  a  trench  the  machine  moves  continuously 
forward,  and  thus  gradually  feeds  the  wheel  into  the  soil.  The 
cutting  speed  can  be  varied  by  shifting  the  sprocket  wheels.  The 
depth  of  cut  is  regulated  by  the  operator,  who  sights  over  a  sight-arm, 
on  the  side  of  the  wheel  frame,  at  a  series  of  targets  on  flag-poles. 
By  turning  a  hand  wheel  he  raises  and  lowers  the  excavating  wheel 
until  the  sight-arm  is  at  the  proper  level.  The  alignment  is  kept 

1  This  description  and  Fig.  126  are  taken  from  the  catalogue  of  the  Buckeye 
Traction  Ditcher  Co. 


BUCKEYE  TRACTION  DITCHER 


285 


by  lining  in  the  centers  of  the  front  and  rear  wheels  with  the  flag- 
poles. Where  the  ground  is  fairly  level,  a  true  line  and  grade  can 
be  easily  kept,  but  when  the  surface  is  rolling  or  uneven,  constant 
attention  is  necessary. 

The  fuel  is  kept  in  a  box  in  front  of  the  boiler  and  the  water  in  a 
tank  under  the  engine.  Two  men  are  generally  necessary  to  run  a 
steam-operated  ditcher,  one  to  tend  the  boiler  and  engine  and  the 
other  to  operate  the  excavating  wheel.  It  is  often  more  economical 
of  fuel  and  labor  to  use  a  machine  operated  by  a  gasoline  engine. 
Such  a  tile  ditcher  is  shown  in  Fig.  127. 


Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher  with  Gasoline  Power. 
Figure  127. 

The  traction  speed  of  the  machine  when  not  digging  is  i  mile 
per  hour  but  on  account  of  the  necessary  stops  to  take  on  coal  and 
water,  to  fill  dead  furrows,  etc.,  an  average  speed  of  f  mile  per 
hour  is  all  that  can  be  attained. 

ma.  Use  in  Minnesota.1 — The  following  record  of  tile  trenching 
on  the  Northwest  Experiment  farm  of  the  University  of  Minnesota 
at  Crookston,  Minnesota.  This  work  was  done  in  1903  by  a  Buckeye 
traction  ditcher  of  the  size  described  in  the  previous  article.  The 
machine  cost  $1,400  and  has  since  been  improved  so  that  this 
record  is  rather  conservative.  It  is  also  evident  from  the  report 
given  in  the  Bulletin,  that  the  machine  was  poorly  operated. 

The  natural  conditions  on  this  farm  were  generally  favorable  for  a 

1  Abstracted  from  Bulletin  no,  Northwest  Experiment  Farm,  University  of 
Minnesota. 


286  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

machine  trencher.  The  surface  was  uniformly  level  and  the  soil 
was  free  from  stones,  roots  and  sloughs.  The  surface  was  almost 
entirely  covered  with  sod  and  in  many  places  the  soil  was  sticky 
and  "gumbo"  in  character.  The  trenches  had  an  average  depth 
of  4J  ft. 

Example  I. — The  machine  dug  8,750  ft.  of  trench  in  10  working 
days,  making  an  average  progress  of  875  ft.  per  day. 

Following  is  a  table  giving  the  cost  of  excavation  and  tile  laying: 

Cost  per  100  ft. 

Labor  of  operating  machine,  $0.457 

Coal,  o.i  88 

Water,  0.126 

Oil,  0.012 

Repairs,  0.112 


Cost  of  excavation,  $o .  895 

Laying  tile,  $o.  183 
Blinding,  0.048 

Incidentals,  0.092 


Cost  of  laying,  etc.,  $0.323 


Total  cost  of  tile  work,  $1.218 

Example  2. — In  this  case  the  soil  conditions  were  more  favorable 
than  in  Example  i,  as  the  sod  was  thin  and  the  soil  dry.  The 
following  table  is  based  on  a  total  length  of  trench  excavation  of 
10,450  ft. 

Cost  per  100  ft. 

Labor  of  operating  machine,  $o.  409 

Coal,  0.190 

Water,  0.087 

Oil,  o.oio 

Repairs,  o.ioo 

Cost  of  excavation, 
Laying  tile, 
Blinding, 
Incidentals, 

Cost  of  laying,  etc.,  $0.280 

Total  cost  of  tile  work,  $i .  076 

Example  3. — In  this  case  the  soil  was  generally  wet  and  covered 
with  a  broken  sod.  The  following  table  is  based  on  a  total  length 
of  excavated  trench  of  14,298  ft. 


BUCKEYE  TRACTION  DITCHER  287 

Cost  per  100  ft. 

Labor  of  operating  machine,  $0.516 

Coal,  0.263 

Water,  0.126 

Oil,  0.014 

Repairs,  0.200 


Cost  of  excavation,  $1.119 

Laying  tile,  $0.235 
Blinding,  0.062 

Incidentals,  0.012 


Cost  of  laying,  etc.,  $0.309 


Total  cost  of  tile  work,  $i  .428 

The  average  cost  of  all  the  machine  work  done  was  $1.25  per  100 
ft.,  while  the  cost  of  trench  work  done  by  hand  labor  on  the  same 
farm,  was  $3.88  per  100  ft.  This  comparison  of  costs  shows  the 
advantage  of  a  machine  excavator  for  title  trench  work,  even  under 
the  adverse  conditions  of  an  early  type  of  ditcher  and  inefficient 
operation. 

i nb.  Use  in  Ohio/ — During  the  year  1910  a  Buckeye  ditcher 
equipped  with  a  gasoline  engine  and  capable  of  digging  a  trench 
14^  in.  wide  by  4^  ft.  deep  (see  Fig.  127)  has  been  used  near  New 
London,  Ohio.  About  1 2  miles  of  trench  were  dug,  with  an  average 
depth  of  2\  ft.  The  soil  excavated  was  loam  and  clay,  which  was 
rather  hard  during  the  dry  season  and  sticky  when  wet.  The 
excavator  was  equipped  with  apron  or  caterpillar  tractions  and 
passed  through  several  swamps.  The  following  table  gives  the 
average  cost  of  excavation  for  the.  season : 

Cost  per  red 

Operator,  $o .  03 

Gasoline  @  13  cents  per  gallon,  0.018 

Repairs,  0.024 

Oil  and  grease,  o.ooi 


Total  cost  per  rod  excavated,  $0.073 

One  man  was  found  sufficient  to  operate  the  machine  satisfac- 
torily. The  average  cost  of  excavation  of  tile  trenches  by  hand  in 
the  same  locality  the  previous  season  was  35  cents  per  rod. 

Near  Fremont,  Ohio,  the  following  record  was  kept  of  the  use 
of  a  Buckeye  ditcher  during  an  n-hour  working  day  in  September, 


288  TRENCH  EXCA  VA  TORS 

1910.     The  excavator  was  a  steam-power  machine  with  a  capacity 

of  nj  in.  wide  by  4^  ft.  deep.     See  Fig.  125.     The  total  excavation 

made  was  270  rods  of  trench  with  an  average  depth  of  2  ft.  4  in. 

The  following  table  gives  the  cost  of  the  work  for  the  n-hour  day: 

Operator,  $2 . 50 

Fireman,  i .  50 

Cylinder  oil,  0.23 

Machine  oil,  o.  10 


Total  cost  of  excavation,  $4-33 

Fuel  and  water  were  supplied  by  the  land  owner. 

inc.  Use  in  Iowa. — Near  Dawson,  Iowa,  a  Buckeye  ditcher,  with 
steam  power  and  with  a  capacity  of  15  in.  by  5^  ft.,  excavated  no 
rods  of  trench  to  an  average  depth  of  4  ft.  during  two  y-hour  working 
days.  The  operating  cost  was  as  follows: 

Cost  per  day 

Operator,  $2.50 

Fireman,  2 . 50 

Coal,  £  ton  ;  ©$3.25,  1.625 

Oil,  0.125 


Total  cost  per  day,  $6 .  750 

Average  daily  excavation,  55  rods. 
Cost  of  excavation  per  rod,  $6.75  -f- 55  =  $0.123 

nid.  Use  in  Kansas. — Near  Oswego,  Kansas,  a  Buckeye  ditcher 
with  steam  equipment  and  capacity  of  nj  in.  by  4^  ft.  operated  suc- 
cessfully in  various  soils  for  several  seasons.  The  average  excavation 
made  in  a  clay  loam  soil  under  favorable  conditions  was  about  60  rods 
of  trench  3  ft.  in  depth  in  three  hours. 

The  following  is  an  estimate  of  the  cost  of  excavation  per  working 
day  of  eight  hours. 

Operator,  $3 .  oo 

Fireman,  i .  oo 

Coal,  I  ton  @  $4,  i .  oo 

Oil  and  waste,  0.15 


Total  cost  per  day,  $5 . 15 

H2.  Hovland  Tile  Ditcher. — The  Ho  viand  tile  ditcher  made  by  the 
St.  Paul  Machinery  Manufacturing  Company  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
is  a  machine  which  not  only  excavates  a  trench,  but  also  automatically 
lays  tile  up  to  i2-in.  diameter. 


HOVLAND  TILE  DITCHER 


289 


This  excavator  is  made  in  two  parts,  the  front  traction  platform 
which  carries  the  power  equipment  and  the  rear  traction  platform 
which  carries  the  excavating  chain.  Both  platforms  are  made  of  a 
steel  framework  supported  on  two  continuous  apron  tractors.  In 
order  to  afford  a  better  grip  on  the  surface,  steel  channels  with  the 
flanges  out,  are  used  instead  of  the  ordinary  wooden  blocks.  The 
length  of  each  traction  is  22  ft.  and  the  width  out  to  out  of  tractions  is 
10  ft.  A  complete  outfit  is  shown  in  Fig.  128. 

The  main  or  rear  tractor  consists  of  a  platform  26  ft.  long  and  10  ft. 
wide,  which  supports  a  steel  framework.  From  this  is  suspended  the 
excavating  chain  and  its  supporting  framework.  The  latter  consists 
of  a  small  upper  wheel  and  a  large  lower  wheel  or  drum,  about  which  the 


Hovland  Tile  Ditcher. 
Figure  128. 

excavating  chain  revolves.  The  larger  and  lower  drum  is  suspended 
by  chains  from  the  rear  of  the  framework  and  can  be  raised  and 
lowered  by  a  gear-operated  shaft.  The  upper  and  smaller  wheel  is  on 
a  shaft  which  is  chain  driven  from  the  engine  located  on  the  forward 
tractor.  A  small  wheel  is  suspended  from  a  gear-operated  shaft  near 
the  center  of  the  top  of  the  framework  and  takes  up  the  slack  of  the 
upper  portion  of  the  chain.  The  excavating  chain  consists  of  two 
continuous  chains  which  carry  a  continuous  set  of  hinged  links.  To 
the  vertical  sections  of  these  links  may  be  bolted  knives  or  cutters  of 
any  width  from  5  in.  to  30  in.  These  links  are  so  hinged,  that  when  a 
cutter  strikes  a  stone  or  other  obstruction  in  a  trench  the  chain  gives, 
and  the  cutter  slides  over  the  stone  without  injury.  Above  the 

19 


290 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


upper  wheel,  which  is  toothed  on  each  side  to  receive  the  side  chains, 
is  placed  an  automatic  cleaning  device.  This  consists  of  a  projecting 
arm  so  placed  that  its  outer  end  scrapes  over  the  surface  of  each 
bucket  as  it  reaches  the  top  wheel.  The  excavated  material  is  thus 
cleaned  off  the  cutter  and  falls  upon  a  continuous  belt  conveyor 
located  underneath  the  excavating  chain  at  its  upper  end.  Fig. 
129  and  130  show  in  a  diagrammatic  form  how  the  excavating  chain 
is  supported  and  operated. 

An  adjustable  steel-frame  curbing  can  be  fastened  to  the  rear  of  the 
excavating  tractor  and  drawn  along  the  completed  trench.  This 
curbing  is  adjusted  to  the  width  of  the  trench  and  made  high  enough 


Diagram  of  Excavating  Chain  of  Hovland  Tile  Ditcher. 
Figure  129. 

to  project  above  the  ground  surface.  A  steel  spout  is  placed  on  the 
inner  and  curved  portion  and  as  the  machine  progresses,  a  man  places 
the  tile  in  at  the  top  of  the  spout,  which  is  curved  so  as  to  allow  the  tile 
to  slide  out  in  place  along  the  bottom  of  the  finished  trench. 

The  forward  tractor  carries  the  power  equipment  consisting  of  a 
three-cylinder,  vertical,  gasoline  engine.  The  main  shaft  of  the  engine 
is  connected  by  sprocket  chains  to  the  driving  shafts  of  the  tractions 
of  the  excavating  belt  and  the  belt  conveyor.  Two  men  are  required  to 
operate  the  machine,  one  for  the  engine  and  the  other  for  the 
excavator. 

Two  sizes  of  machine  are  made,  one  called  a  "single- wheel"  machine 
and  the  other  a  "  double- wheel "  machine.  The  former  has  a  45-h.p., 
three-cylinder,  gasoline  engine  and  can  excavate  a  trench  with  a  width 


HOVLAND  TILE  DITCHER 


291 


of  from  10  to  20  in.  and  depth  of  from  3  to  12  ft.  The  latter  has  a 
6o-h.p.,  four-cylinder,  gasoline  engine  and  can  excavate  a  trench  with  a 
width  of  from  14  to  30  in.  and  a  depth  of  from  3  to  6  ft.  The  machines 
when  excavating  can  move  at  a  speed  varying  from  25  ft.  to  100  ft.  per 
hour  depending  on  the  depth  of  trench  and  soil  conditions.  When 
moving  across  country,  the  machines  can  move  at  an  average  rate  of 
about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  per  hour. 


Diagram  showing  the  Operation  of  the  Excavating  Chain  of  the  Hovland  Tile 

Ditcher. 
Figure  130. 

H2a.  Use  in  Minnesota. — During  the  summer  of  1910,  a  Hovland 
tile  ditcher  operated  by  a  45-h.p.  gasoline  engine,  was  used  for  the 
excavation  of  a  system  of  county  ditches  in  Lac  Qui  Parle  County, 
Minnesota.  The  fastest  speed  made  by  the  machine  while  excavating 
was  100  ft.  in  35  minutes,  while  the  slowest  speed  was  about  120  ft. 
per  hour. 

The  country  in  which  the  work  was  done  was  of  a  rolling  charac- 
ter. The  surface  was  dotted  with  pot  holes  from  2  to  ?o  acres  in 
area,  many  of  them  filled  with  water  to  the  depth  of  from  2  in.  to  4 
ft.  The  soil  was  a  brown  silt  and  a  black-clay  loam,  from  2  to  5  ft. 
deep,  underlaid  with  a  sandy-clay  sub-soil  containing  a  very  large 
percentage  of  sand.  A  few  field  stones  were  encountered  and  in 
places  a  very  hard  clay  sub-soil  was  found.  The  latter  was  not 
difficult  to  excavate  with  the  ditcher.  The  soil  had  a  tendency  to 
cave  when  wet  or  when  the  depth  of  the  ditch  was  over  6  ft. 

The  equipment  for  this  work  and  its  cost  is  given  in  the  following 
table: 


292  TREXCH  EXCA  VA  TORS 

i  "single- wheel"  Hovland  die  ditcher, 

3  shacks  on  wagons, 

Equipment  for  shacks, 

i  team,  wagon,  harness  and  light  buggy, 

i  oil  wagon, 

Tools,  etc., 

$6065 . oo 

The  first  piece  of  work  done  was  the  digging  of  a  ditch  6,630  ft. 
long  and  26  in.  wide.  Cutters  or  digger  reamers  24  in.  wide  wrere 
used  on  the  excavating  wheel.  The  ditch  was  made  for  a  line  of 
i8-in.  hard-burned  bell  tile,  with  a  diameter,  outside  of  bell,  of  25^ 
in.  The  steel  curbing  furnished  with  the  machine  could  not  be 
used  on  account  of  these  extreme  conditions,  and  the  ditch  caved 
badly.  About  100  per  cent,  more  earth  was  removed  from  the 
trench  than  is  ordinarily  necessary.  Near  the  upper  end  of  the 
ditch  was  a  pond  400  ft.  wide.  The  ditch  through  this  pond  was 
cut  by  a  capstan  plow. 

The  time  required  for  the  excavation  of  this  ditch  was  21  working 
days. 

The  depth  of  the  ditch  varied  from  2  ft.  at  the  outlet  to  7  ft.  at 
the  upper  end,  the  average  cut  being  about  4!  ft. 

The  following  crew  was  used  on  the  work: 

i  foreman  i  level  man 

i  engineer  2  laborers 

i  machine  operator  i  cook 

i  tile  layer  i  teamv 

Board,  washing,  etc.  for  the  camp  cost  $100  per  month.  In- 
cidental expenses,  repairs,  etc.  cost  $80  per  month.  In  the  opera- 
tion of  the  machine  for  the  digging  of  this  ditch,  368.5  gal.  of  gaso- 
line were  used.  To  this  should  be  added  15  per  cent,  which  was 
wasted. 

The  second  job  was  the  excavation  of  a  ditch  4,600  ft.  long  and 
17  in.  wide  for  i?-in.  tile.  The  minimum  cut  was  3  ft.  at  the  head 
of  the  ditch  and  the  maximum  7  ft.  near  the  center.  The  average 
cut  was  5  ft. 

The  crew  used  and  the  general  expenses  were  the  same  as  in  the 
first  case.  The  excavation  of  the  entire  ditch  required  5  days. 
The  soil  did  not  cave  and  the  steel  curbing  was  not  used.  Fifty- 
five  gallons  of  gasoline  were  consumed  in  this  operation. 

113.  Austin  Tile  Ditcher. — This  excavator  is  especially  built  for 
the  digging  of  tile  trenches  by  the  F.  C.  Austin  Drainage  Excavator 


A  USTIN  TILE  DITCHER  293 

Co.  of  Chicago,  111.  The  machine  consists  of  a  steel-frame  plat- 
form supported  upon  two  trucks  and  carrying  the  machinery  and 
digging  appliance. 

The  platform  is  a  steel  framework  made  up  of  steel  channels 
for  the  sides  and  braced  with  steel  angles  and  plates.  The  two 
trucks  which  support  the  machine  are  placed  under  the  front  and 
rear  ends  of  the  platform.  The  front  truck  is  composed  of  two  steel 
wheels  with  flanged  tires  to  prevent  slipping.  The  rear  truck  is 
provided  either  with  large  wide-tired  steel  wheels  or  roller  plat- 
form traction.  The  latter  is  generally  used  as  it  better  distributes 
the  weight  of  the  machinery  and  excavating  chain  over  soft  ground. 
Each  tractor  has  a  bearing  area  of  10  sq.  ft.  and  will  support  an 
excavator  over  ground  that  will  carry  the  weight  of  a  man. 

The  power  equipment  is  placed  upon  the  forward  end  of  the 
platform,  over  the  forward  truck.  This  generally  consists  of  a 
gasoline  engine,  although  a  steam  engine  and  boiler  are  furnished 
if  desired.  The  gasoline  engine  is  of  the  vertical  water-cooled 
type  and  provided  with  two,  three,  or  four  cylinders  7  in.  by  9  in. 
and  generating  from  10  to  50  h.p.  These  engines  are  very  strongly 
built  and  have  the  following  features:  the  valves  are  forged  from 
chrome  steel  with  large  egress  and  ingress  and  operated  by  rocker 
arms  from  the  engine  cam-shaft,  the  cams  are  made  from  tempered 
tool  steel,  the  crank-shaft  is  made  of  forged  high-carbon  steel,  a 
Schebler  carbureter  and  force  feed  oiling  system.  The  fuel  con- 
sumption of  one  of  these  engines  is  about  one-tenth  of  a  gallon  of 
gasoline  per  horse-power  per  hour. 

In  front  of  the  engine  is  placed  the  gasoline-supply  and  water- 
supply  tanks.  This  arrangement  is  clearly  shown  in  Fig.  131. 

Over  the  rear  truck,  on  the  platform  of  the  excavator,  is  placed 
the  operating  machinery.  This  consists  of  a  typical  friction-drum 
engine  belt  connected  to  the  gasoline  engine.  A  set  of  gears  are 
used  to  reduce  the  speed  and  a  heavy  sprocket  chain  transmits  the 
power  to  the  excavating  chain  and  the  belt  conveyor. 

The  rear  end  of  the  platform  supports  a  steel  box,  from  the  upper 
and  outer  corner  of  which  is  suspended  the  steel  frame,  which 
carries  the  excavating  chain.  The  frame  is  pivoted  near  its  upper 
end  on  the  axle  of  the  driving  sprocket  and  can  be  raised  and  lowered 
by  means  of  a  threaded  rod  attached  to  the  upper  end  of  the  frame 
and  the  engine  below.  Note  this  detail  in  Fig.  131. 

The  excavating  chain  consists  of  two  link  chains  and  a  series  of 
from  9  to  12  buckets.  These  chains  are  spaced  a  distance  apart, 


294  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

depending  on  the  width  of  trench  to  be  excavated,  and  pass  con- 
tinuously over  sprocket  wheels  at  the  upper  and  low  ends  of  the 
frame.  The  links  are  connected  by  steel  pins  and  are  provided 
with  an  outer  collar  of  manganese  steel.  A  broken  link  can  be 
readily  and  easily  removed  and  replaced  with  a  new  one.  The 
buckets  are  of  the  open  and  scoop  type  and  are  provided  with  tool 
steel  lips  or  cutting  edges.  For  digging  hard  soil,  manganese  steel 


Austin  Tile  Ditcher. 
Figure  131. 

reams  are  attached  to  the  buckets.  The  chain  is  supported  at 
intermediate  points  on  smooth  steel  rollers  and  revolves  continu- 
ously. Each  bucket  in  its  downward  path  comes  into  contact 
with  the  bottom  of  the  trench  and  on  its  upward  path  removes  a 
slice  of  earth,  which  falls  out  onto  a  moving  belt  conveyor,  when 
the  bucket  turns  over  and  starts  again  on  its  downward  path.  A 
fixed  scraper  is  placed  so  that  it  automatically  cleans  out  each 
bucket  as  it  starts  to  revolve  about  the  upper  wheel.  This  scraper 
is  especially  useful  when  sticky  or  gumbo  soil  is  being  excavated. 
Fig.  132  is  a  detail  line  drawing  of  the  Farm  Tile  Machine,  Size 
No.  oooo.  This  drawing  clearly  shows  the  construction  and  princi- 
ples of  operation  of  the  excavating  chain. 

The  excavator  moves  ahead  under  its  own  power  by  means  of  a 
gear  and  chain  drive  connecting  the  engine  with  the  axle  of  the 
front  truck.  The  average  traction  speed,  when  not  digging  is  about 


TILE  TRENCH  EXCA  VA  TORS  295 

i  mile  per  hour.  When  digging  the  speed  varies  with  the  width 
and  depth  of  the  trench  and  the  size  of  the  excavator,  the  smaller 
machines  moving  about  9  ft.  per  minute  and  the  larger  ones  about 
6  ft.  per  minute.  One  man  is  generally  all  that  is  required  to 
operate  one  of  these  excavators.  In  many  cases  it  has  been  found 
advantageous  to  have  a  boy  as  a  general  helper  to  the  operator. 

The  table  on  page  296  gives  detailed  information  concerning  the 
trench  excavators  and  their  capacities. 


Austin  Farm  Tile  Machine. 
Figure  132. 

114.  Resume. — The  tile  trench  excavator  has  become  a  thor- 
oughly practical  and  economical  machine  for  the  excavation  of 
drainage  tile  trenches.  In  the  loam  and  clay  soils  of  the  average 
low  wet  land  requiring  drainage,  this  type  of  excavator,  equipped 
with  caterpillar  traction,  works  very  efficiently.  Where  obstruc- 
tions such  as  large  stone,  roots,  etc.,  abound,  a  large  amount  of 
extra  hand  labor  is  required. 

The  tile  box  or  templet,  which  follows  the  machine  and  auto- 
matically lays  the  tile  in  the  bottom  of  the  trench,  is  a  useful  device. 
However,  it  requires  careful  adjustment  and  attention  on  the  part 
of  the  operator  to  secure  good  results.  As  a  general  thing  hand-laid 
tile  is  more  accurate  as  to  alignment  and  fitting  of  joints  than  when 
laid  by  machine. 


296 


TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 


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TILE  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS  297 

The  author  would  suggest  that  these  machines  be  provided  with 
a  longitudinal  carrier  or  conveyor,  which  would  receive  the  exca- 
vated material  from  the  buckets  and  carry  it  back  over  the  trench  and 
dump  it  over  the  laid  tile.  Thus  the  excavating  and  back-filling 
would  be  carried  on  simultaneously  and  at  a  greatly  reduced  cost. 
It  would  be  necessary  to  carry  the  material  back  far  enough  to 
leave  room  between  the  back-filling  and  the  excavator  for  the  tile 
layer. 

To  arrive  at  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  capacity  and  cost 
of  operation,  let  it  be  assumed  that  a  trench  machine  of  the  i4^-in. 
by  4^-ft.  size  is  to  be  used  for  the  excavating  of  tile  trenches  on 
fairly  level  land.  The  soil  will  be  loam  and  clay,  with  gumbo  in 
spots.  The  working  conditions  be  taken  as  those  generally  met 
with. 


Labor: 


Per  day 

i  operator  @  $125  per  month,  $2.50 

i  fireman,  2 .  oo 

i  helper,  2  .  oo 


Total  labor  cost,  $6 .  50 


Fuel  and  Supplies : 


10  gal.  of  gasoline  @  $o.  16,  $i .  60 

Oil,  waste,  etc.,  0.30 


Total  fuel  and  supply  cost,  $i  .90 

Miscellaneous : 

Interest  @  6  per  cent,  (based  on  invest- 
ment of  $5,200)  $2.00 

Depreciation,  150  working  days  a  year 

for  eight-year  life,  4. 50 

Repairs  and  maintenance,  i .  50 

Total  miscellaneous, 
l 

Total  operating  cost  per  day, 

Average    progress    per    day,  !,3oo  ft. 

Average  daily  excavation,  260  cu.  yd. 

/  $0.013  per  foot. 
Average  cost  of  excavation,  |  $Q  ^  per 


298  TRENCH  EXCAVATORS 

115.  Bibliography. — For  additional  information,  see  the  following: 

BOOKS 

1.  Earth  and  Rock  Excavation,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1905  by  D. 
Van  Nostrand,  New  York.     421  pages,  167  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $3. 

2.  Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Engineer- 
ing News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     254  pages,  54  figures,  5!  by  7  in.,  cost  $2. 

3.  Handbook  of  Cost  Data,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Myron 
C.  Clark  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago.     1,900  pages,  4!  by  7  in.,  cost  $5. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  The  Buckeye  Traction  Ditcher,  Frank  C.  Perkins;  Scientific  American, 
September  10,  1904.     Illustrated,  1,500  words. 

2.  Cost  of  Trenching  with  Sewer  Excavator  in  Moundsville,  W.  Va.,  A.  W. 
Peters;  Engineering-Contracting,  February  28,  1912,  1,500  words. 

3.  Ditching  and  Trenching  Machinery,  E.  E.  R.  Tratman;  Proceedings  of 
the  Illinois  Society  of  Engineers  and  Surveyors,  1911.     Illustrated,  6,500  words. 

4.  Excavators  and  Steam  Shovels  in  Sewer  Construction,  Frank  C.  Perkins; 
Municipal  Engineering,  June,  1908.     Illustrated,  1,200  words. 

5.  An  Important  Legal  Decision  Regarding  Trench  Excavation;   Editorial 
on  the  decision  given  by  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  of  Appeals  in  the  case  of  Gam- 
mino  vs.  Town  of  Dedham;  Engineering  Record,  January  2,  1909.     1,200  words. 

6.  A  Machine  for  Excavating  Narrow  Ditches,  Eugen  Eichel;  Zeitschrift  des 
Vereines  Deutscher  Ingenieure,  January  13,  1906.     1,000  words. 

7.  Methods  and  Cost  of  Trench  Excavation  with  a  Trench  Digging  Machine, 
H.  P.  Gillette;  Engineering  Record,  December  30,  1905.     1,800  words. 

8.  The  Practical  Working  of  Trench  Excavating  Machinery,  Ernest  McCul- 
lough;  Engineering  News,  December  24,  1903.     Illustrated,  2,500  words. 

9.  Sewerage  Construction  Work;  Municipal  Journal  and  Engineer,  May  i, 
1907.     Illustrated,  2,500  words. 

10.  Some  New  Excavating  Machines;  Engineering  News,  March  16,  191 1. 
Illustrated,  2,000  words. 

11.  Steam  Shovels  for  Trench  Excavation;  Engineering  News,  November  7, 
1901.     Illustrated,  1,400  words. 

12.  Trench  Excavation  by  Steam  Shovel;  Municipal  Journal  and  Engineer, 
January  4,  1912.     Illustrated,  1,800  words. 


CHAPTER  IX 
LEVEE  BUILDERS 

118.  Field  of  Work. — In  certain  sections  of  the  country,   it  is 
necessary  to  build  levees  or  dikes  along  the  rivers  and  smaller  streams 
to  prevent  their  periodic  overflow.     This  is  especially  true  of  the 
streams  of  the  central  West;  the  Mississippi,  the  Missouri,  and  their 
tributaries.     These    streams,    particularly    in    their    lower    reaches, 
pass  through  broad  level  valleys  and  are  very  tortuous.     During  the 
spring  and  early  summer  floods,  these  streams  inundate  the  neighbor- 
ing lowlands  and  are  often  very  destructive.     Hence,  measures  must 
be  devised  to  prevent  these  inundations.     One  method  consists  in 
straightening    and    enlarging    the    channels;    another,    by    building 
earthen  embankments  or  dikes.     Sometimes  the  two  methods  are 
combined  in  one  project.     This  chapter  will  deal  solely  with  the 
excavating  machinery  used  in  the  construction  of  levees. 

Various  kinds  of  earth  excavating  and  moving  machinery  have 
been  used  in  the  construction  of  levees.  Twenty-five  or  thirty  years 
ago  this*  class  of  earthwork  was  done  principally  with  wheelbarrows, 
teams,  and  scrapers.  In  .recent  years,  however,  except  in  the  case 
of  small  work,  the  various  types  of  dredges  and  specially  constructed 
machinery  have  almost  universally  replaced  the  cruder  and  slower 
methods.  In  the  following  paragraphs,  the  various  kinds  of  machines 
for  levee  building  will  be  discussed.  The  levee  builder  will  be  described, 
but  the  other  machines,  which  have  been  described  in  previous 
chapters,  will  be  only  briefly  referred  to  in  connection  with  their 
adaptability  to  this  particular  class  of  work. 

119.  Scrapers. — Scrapers  are  very  efficient  machines  in  the  building 
of  levees,  when  the  work  is  on  too  small  a  scale  for  the  installation 
of  larger  machinery.     Both  Fresno  and  wheel  scrapers  have  been  used. 

A  great  deal  of  the  levee  construction  of  the  lower  Mississippi 
River  has  been  made  with  wheel  scrapers,  and  this  method  was  found 
preferable  to  the  use  of  the  wheelbarrow.  Earth  put  up  in  a  bank 
with  the  use  of  wheelbarrows  is  at  first  comparatively  loose,  porous 
and  subject  to  considerable  erosion.  Engineers  generally  allow  at 
least  20  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  wheelbarrow  work.  However,  levees 

299 


300  LEVEE  BUILDERS 

made  with  the  scrapers  are  fairly  firm  and  hard  and  readily  shed 
water.     About  10  per  cent,  shrinkage  is  allowed  for  scraper  work. 

120.  Fresno  Scrapers  in  Arizona. — The  construction  of  the  levee 
below  the  Colorado  River  break,  in  1907,  wras  made  with  four-horse 
Fresno  scrapers.     Muck  ditches  were  constructed  with  6-  to  lo-ft. 
bases  and  with  2 \  to  i  slopes,  and  then  levees  with  lo-ft.  top  width  and 
3  to  i  slopes  were  built.     The  material  which  was  an  adobe  or  dark 
clay  and  loam,  was  taken  from  the  borro\v  pits  on  the  land  side.     These 
pits  were  made  with  a  4o-ft.  embankment  berm,  a  depth  of  4  ft.  on  the 
inside  and  a  slope  of  i  in  50  to  the  outside.     At  intervals  of  400  to  500 
ft.  were  left  checks  17!  ft.  wide,  across  the  pits.     About  150  Fresno 
scrapers  and  600  head  of  stock  were  employed  continuously  on  this 
work.     During  the  month  of  February,  1907,  270,000  cu.  yd.  were 
moved  and  an  average  of  7,000  cu.  yd.  were  moved  per  day. 

121.  Use  of  Dump  Cars  in  Massachusetts. — A  tidal  dike  was  built, 
during  the  latter  part  of  1908  and  1909,  at  Wellfleet,  on  Cape  Cod, 
Massachusetts.     This  dike  was  a  sand  embankment,  having  a  length 
of  about  900  ft.,  top  width  of  22  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  \\  to  i.     The 
maximum  bottom  width  was  68  ft.     The  material  was  borrowed  from 
pits  in  hills  at  each  end  of  the  dike.     A  2o-in.  gage  track  was  laid  from 
either  end  of  the  dike  on  an  incline,  so  that  the  dump  cars  would  run 
out  of  the  borrow  pits  and  on  to  the  dike  by  gravity.     The  empty  cars 
were  pulled  back  by  means  of  a  cable  and  hoisting  engine.     Automatic 
side  dump  cars  of  3  cu.  yd.  capacity  were  used.     The  maximum  haul 
was  450  ft.  and  the  labor  cost  was  8  cents  per  cubic  yard. 

NOTE. — The  reader  is  referred  to  Paragraph  2b,  Chapter  I,  for  an 
account  of  levee  construction  with  Frenso  scrapers. 

122.  Floating  Dipper  Dredge. — The  floating  dipper  dredge  has  been 
successfully  used  in  the  construction  of  levees  where  the  latter  are 
small  but  it  is  not  a  practicable  excavator  where  the  levees  are  large. 
The  dipper  dredge  must  excavate  all  the  borrowed  material  in  front 
of  itself  and  this  means  the  excavation  of  a  deeper  pit  than  is  advisable. 
This  pit  would  generally  be  too  near  the  toe  of  the  levee  for  safety. 
The  dipper  dredge  has  a  comparatively  short  boom  and  dipper  handle 
and  where  the  cross-section  of  the  levee  has  over  1,000  cu.  yd.  per  100 
ft.  in  length,  the  use  of  this  type  of  dredge  would  be  impracticable  and 
inefficient. 

123.  Clam-shell  Dredge  in  California. — Where   levees   are   con- 
structed along  large  rivers  or  artificial  channels,  it  is  often  advisable  to 
use  some  type  of  floating  dredges.     The  disadvantages  of  the  dipper 
dredge  have  been  overcome  by  the  use  of  a  long  boom  and  a  clam- 


TRACTION  DREDGE  301 

shell  bucket.  Such  a  dredge  has  been  used  in  the  reclamation  of  the 
delta  lands  at  the  junction  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin  Rivers 
with  San  Francisco  Bay. 

I23a.  Description  of  Dredge. — This  dredge  had  a  hull  whose  length 
was  140  ft.,  width  50  ft.  and  depth  10  ft.  It  was  made  with  two  longi- 
tudinal and  two  cross  bulkheads,  extending  from  keels  to  deck.  The 
hull  was  built  of  i2-in.  square  timbers.  There  were  two  side  and  one 
rear  stationary  spuds  and  one  fleeting  spud.  All  the  spuds  were 
built  of  single  timbers,  each  30  in.  square  and  70  ft.  long.  The  boom 
was  made  up  of  24-in.  square  timbers  spliced  in  the  center  and  forming 
a  structure  150  ft.  long.  The  bucket  had  a  spread  of  14  ft.  and  was 
capable  of  lifting  14  cu.  yd.  of  excavated  material,  weighing  25  tons,  at 
one  time. 


Diagram  showing  the  Use  of  a  Traction  Dredge  in  Levee  Construction. 

Figure  133. 

Power  was  furnished  by  a  double-cylinder,  compound,  high-pressure 
engine  of  about  500  h.p.  The  engine  was  equipped  with  two  i4-in. 
high-pressure  cylinders  working  into  one  4i-in.  low-pressure  cylinder. 
Steam  was  furnished  by  boilers  of  the  Scotch  Marine  type,  having 
lengths  of  13  J  ft.  and  heights  of  7  ft.  Crude  petroleum  oil  was  used 
for  fuel. 

i23b.  Operation  of  Dredge. — The  soil  was  sand  and  clay  and 
was  easily  and  efficiently  excavated  with  this  type  of  dredge.  When 
working  uniformly,  the  bucket  made  a  round  trip  in  about  one  minute. 
The  work  was  carried  on  in  two  n-hour  shifts  for  each  working  day 
and  the  average  excavation  was  8,000  cu.  yd.  The  maximum  excava- 
tion made  in  a  day  was  about  10,500  cu.  yd. 

124.    Dry-land  Dredge  in  Louisiana. — When  the  banks  of  a  stream 


302  LEVEE  BUILDERS 

which  is  to  be  diked  are  of  dry  and  firm  soil,  a  dry-land  excavator  is 
used  to  good  advantage.  During  recent  years  a  number  of  these  exca- 
vators, mounted  on  skids  and  rollers  and  equipped  with  clam-shell  or 
orange-peel  buckets,  have  been  operating  in  Louisiana.  The  diagram 
in  Fig.  133  will  show  the  method  of  operation  of  a  traction  dredge. 
I24a.  Operation  of  Dredge.1 — The  following  table  gives  the  cost 
of  operation  of  a  traction  dredge,  equipped  with  a  2\  cu.  yd.  orange- 
peel  bucket.  These  figures  are  for  a  typical  piece  of  levee  construction 
in  alluvial  soil  and  where  clearing  is  not  required. 

Labor: 

i  engineer  @  $120  per  month,  $120.00 

i  fireman  @  $50  per  month,  50.00 

i  track  foreman  @  $2  per  day,  52.00 

4  trackmen  @  $1.75  per  day  each,  182.00 

i  pumpman,  39.00 

Total  labor  cost,  $443  oo 

The  above  is  the  labor  schedule  for  one 
ii-hour  shift.  The  night  shift  cost 
would  be  the  same:  $443  •  oo 

General  Supplies: 

i  team  and  driver  for  hauling  coal,  $91 .00 

i  ,040  barrels  of  Pittsburgh  coal  @  $0.3 7,  384 . 80 

Oil  and  waste,  10.40 

Repairs  and  breakage,  78 .  oo 


Total  cost  of  supplies,  $564.  20 

Total  operating  expenses  for  i  month,  $1,450.20 

Average  amount  of  excavation  for  i  month,        38,000  cu.  yd. 
Average  cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  $o .  038 

125.  Hydraulic  and  Ladder  Dredges. — Hydraulic  and  ladder  dredges 
have  not  been  used  with  much  success  in  levee  building,  except  under 
peculiarly  favorable  conditions.  The  material,  which  these  types  of 
dredges  excavate,  is  in  such  a  fluid  condition  that  it  will  not  remain 
in  place  in  the  form  of  an  embankment.  The  only  method  that  can  be 
used  to  hold  this  fluid  material  in  place  is  first  to  build  two  parallel 
ridges  of  dry  earth  or  other  convenient  material,  as  the  toes  of  the 
slopes,  and  then  fill  in  between  with  the  wet  material  up  to  the  top  of 
the  ridges.  After  the  wet  filling  dries  out  and  solidifies,  two  more 
ridges  can  be  built  and  filled  in.  This  method  is  continued  until  the 
levee  is  carried  to  the  proper  elevation  and  completed.  This  process 

1  Abstracted  from  Circular  74,  U.  S.  De,pt>  of  Agriculture. 


HYDRAULIC  DREDGE  303 

is  satisfactory  in  the  result,  but  slow  and  expensive.  When  it  is 
necessary  to  construct  levees  on  wet  land  and  where  the  excavated 
material  has  to  be  transported  a  considerable  distance,  the  hydraulic 
dredge  is  very  useful  and  efficient. 

126.  Hydraulic  Dredge  at  Cairo,  111.1— The  low  areas  of  land  in  the 
city  of  Cairo,  Illinois,  have  been  rilled  in  recently  by  hydraulic  dredg- 
ing from  the  Mississippi  River.     At  first,  the  levees,  to  contain  the 
fluid-dredge  material,  were  constructed  by  means  of  slip  scrapers, 
but  later  on,  a  novel  scheme  was  adopted. 

The  method  adopted  was  based  on  the  fact  that  the  material  moving 
in  the  discharge  pipe  moves  in  strata  with  the  gravel  and  heavy  sand 
at  the  bottom,  the  lighter  sand  above  and  the  water  in  the  upper  sec- 
tion of  the  pipe.  The  velocity  of  the  material  has  been  found  to  be 
inversely  proportional  to  its  density.  This  motion  is  not  uniform  in 
the  pipe,  but  goes  on  like  wave  action  with  a  series  of  crests  and  hollows. 

Several  lengths  of  the  discharge  pipe  were  provided  with  openings 
on  the  lower  side,  3  in.  by  4  in.,  with  the  4-in.  dimension  longitudinal, 
and  spaced  about  3  ft.  apart.  These  openings  could  be  regulated  in 
size  or  closed  by  shutters,  which  were  made  of  No.  8  sheet  steel  and 
worked  in  cast  grooves  bolted  to  the  outside  of  the  pipe. 

The  shutters  of  several  openings  were  opened,  the  excavated 
material  issued  in  the  consistency  of  a  thick  mortar,  which  would 
assume  in  the  bank  about  a  i  to  i  slope.  By  opening  the  shutters 
farther  the  escaping  material  could  be  made  more  fluid,  and  flatten 
out  the  slopes  of  the  levee.  The  end  of  the  discharge  pipe  was  carried 
to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  levee,  so  that  the  escaping  fluid 
material  and  water  would  not  affect  the  work. 

127.  Austin  Levee  Builder. — The  Austin  Levee  Builder  is  a  templet 
excavator,  built  on  the  same  general  principles  as  those  described  in 
Chapter  VI,  Section  B.     These  excavators  can  be  adapted  to  levee 
construction  by  making  a  few  simple  modifications. 

The  levee  builder  consists  of  a  moving  platform,  which  supports  an 
excavator  frame  at  one  end  and  a  levee  runway  at  the  other  end. 

The  platform  is  generally  built  of  timber  and  has  a  length  of  22  ft. 
and  a  width  of  20  ft.  It  carries  the  power  equipment,  which  is  gener- 
ally housed  in.  Fig.  134  shows  one  of  the  machines  at  work. 

The  platform  moves  on  a  track  made  up  of  i2-in.  by  i2-in.  timbers, 
200  ft.  in  length.  On  the  tops  of  these  are  spiked  T-rails  which  take 
the  flanged  wheels  of  the  platform  trucks.  For  soft  ground,  roller 
platform  traction  is  used. 

1  Abstracted  from  Engineering-Contracting,  Feb.  16,  1910. 


304  LEVEE  BUILDERS 

The  power  equipment  consists  of  a  steam-boiler  and  engine.  The 
boiler  is  a  5<>h.p.  fire-box  locomotive  type  weighing  10,500  Ib.  The 
engine  is  a  4o-h.p.  reversible,  double-cylinder,  double-friction  drum, 
hoisting  engine,  provided  with  steel  gearing.  The  engine  weighs  about 
12,000  Ib.  The  makers  will  furnish  a  gasoline  engine  instead  of  the 
regular  steam  equipment  if  desired. 

A  four-legged  A-frame,  made  up  of  structural  steel  members  is  sup- 
ported on  the  platform.  From  the  top  of  this  frame,  cables  pass  over 
steel  sheaves  to  the  outer  ends  of  the  excavator  frame  and  the  levee 
runway.  These  cables  are  connected  to  the  drums  of  the  hoisting 
engine  and  thus  control  the  raising  and  lowering  of  these  two  frames. 

On  the  outer  or  borrow  pit  end  of  the  platform  is  hinged  a  steel 
frame  or  guideway,  which  has  the  general  shape  of  a  ditch  cross-section, 


Austin  Levee  Builder. 
Figure  134. 

and  can  be  raised  and  lowered  by  the  operator  by  means  of  steel  wire 
cables  passing  over  a  sheave  at  the  outer  end  of  the  frame,  thence  to  a 
sheave  at  the  top  of  the  A-frame  and  thence  to  the  engine.  This  frame 
forms  a  track  over  which  a  bucket  passes.  The  bucket  commences  at 
the  farther  outside  bearing  of  the  runway  and  is  drawn  by  a  wrire  cable 
attached  to  the  engine  drum  toward  the  machine,  passing  along  the 
guideway  and  then  across  the  berm  and  up  the  levee  runway  and 
dumped.  Thus  the  bucket  in  its  path  moves  over  a  continuous  guide- 
way  or  steel  track  which  extends  from  the  outer  point  of  the  borrow  pit, 
in  front  of  the  platform  and  to  the  center  of  the  levee.  The  bucket 
after  dumping  is  pulled  back  along  its  track  to  the  outer  point  of  the 
cutting  frame,  where  it  commences  the  excavation  of  another  slice  of 
earth.  The  frame  is  gradually  lowered  as  the  bucket  excavates,  until 


AUSTIN  LEVEE  BUILDER  305 

the  bottom  of  the  frame  is  horizontal.  Then  the  frame  is  raised  and 
the  whole  machine  moves  ahead  about  3  ft.  and  another  section  of  the 
pit  is  excavated. 

The  bucket  used  is  made  of  steel  plate  with  heavy  manganese  steel 
cutting  edge.  Its  length  is  48  in.,  depth  36  in.  and  width  43  in. 
Buckets  having  capacities  of  from  if  to  i\  cu.  yd.  each,  can  be  used  on 
this  machine.  The  approximate  weight  of  a  2  cu.  yd.  bucket  is 
3,000  Ib. 

This  levee  builder  is  made  to  excavate  borrow  pits  with  i  \  to  i  or 
with  i  to  i  side  slopes.  With  \\  to  i  side  slopes,  the  machine  can 
excavate  a  pit  having  a  maximum  depth  of  20  ft.  and  bottom  width  of 
20  ft.,  and  a  minimum  bottom  width  of  5  ft.  With  i  to  i  side  slopes, 
the  maximum  depth  would  be  30  ft.  and  corresponding  maximum 
bottom  width  of  30  ft.,  and  a  minimum  bottom  width  of  6  ft.  The 
width  of  berm  varies  from  20  ft.  to  40  ft.  depending  on  the  amount  of 
material  to  be  placed  in  the  levee  and  local  conditions. 

Under  favorable  conditions  this  machine  will  excavate  and  dump 
about  1,000  cu.  yd.  of  earth  per  lo-hour  day.  The  labor  required 
is  an  operator,  a  fireman,  a  track  gang  composed  of  two  men  and  a 
team  of  horses  and  a  man  and  team  for  hauling  supplies,  fuel,  etc. 
When  roller  platform  traction  is  used  the  track  gang  is  not  neces- 
sary, except  when  the  soil  is  very  soft  and  one  or  two  extra  laborers 
are  required  for  planking.  About  2  tons  of  coal  are  used  in  a  10- 
hour  shift.  The  operating  cost  for  a  lo-hour  day  would  vary  from 
$25  to  $30,  when  the  soil  conditions  were  favorable. 

The  F.  C.  Austin  Drainage  Excavator  Co.  have  also  designed  a 
multiple  bucket  excavator  for  levee  work.  This  machine  consists 
of  two  moving  platforms,  each  carrying  its  operating  machine  and 
excavator.  The  excavator  consists  of  a  triangular-shaped  steel- 
truss  frame  supported  at  its  inner  end  on  the  platform  and  also  near 
its  center  by  a  cable  from  a  crane,  extending  from  the  platform  out 
over  the  excavator  frame.  The  latter  carries  a  continuous  chain 
equipped  with  steel  buckets,  which  cut  out  the  soil  as  the  frame 
is  gradually  lowered.  At  the  platform  end  of  the  bucket  chain, 
the  buckets  dump  their  loads  as  they  turn  over.  The  excavated 
material  is  dropped  on  a  moving  belt  conveyor,  which  carries  the 
material  to  the  levee.  The  excavator  frame  and  belt  conveyor  can 
be  raised  and  lowered  by  the  operator. 

This  excavator  can  be  duplicated  on  the  other  side  and  a  double 
levee  constructed  as  is  often  necessary  in  straightening  out  and 
enlarging  a  natural  watercourse.  Each  machine  is  designed  to  dig 
20 


306  LEVEE  BUILDERS 

a  pit  having  a  bottom  width  of  40  ft.,  depth  of  20  ft.,  and  side 
slope  of  2  to  i.  The  berm  would  vary  from  40  ft.  to  60  ft. 

128.  Resume. — In  the  choice  of  an  excavator  for  levee  con- 
struction, the  principal  considerations  are  capacity,  ability  to 
quickly  transport  material  over  wide  spaces  and  provision  for  re- 
moving water  before  material  is  deposited  in  spoil  bank. 

In  the  early  days  of  levee  building,  the  wheelbarrow  and  the 
scraper  were  used  entirely.  Recently,  the  machine  excavator  has 
to  a  great  extent  supplanted  the  earlier  types  and  with  very  satis- 
factory results. 

The  floating  dipper  dredge  is  useful  in  the  building  of  small 
levees  along  the  smaller  streams.  However,  when  the  levee  con- 
tains over  1,000  cu.  yd.  per  station  of  100  ft.,  the  boom  of  the  dipper 
dredge  is  not  long  enough  to  properly  excavate  the  borrow  pit  and 
place  the  levee. 

For  large  levees,  the  dry-land  excavator  is  the  best  suited  for 
average  conditions.  The  clam-shell  bucket  traction  excavator 
with  a  long  boom  is  generally  the  most  efficient  type.  These  ma- 
chines are  built  with  booms  up  to  125  ft.  in  length  and  with  a 
capacity  of  3,000  cu.  yd.  per  n-hour  shift.  • 

Recently,  a  templet  machine  has  come  into  use  and  under  favor- 
able conditions,  operates  very  satisfactorily.  It  is  not  adapted 
to  use  in  hard  soil  or  where  there  are  many  large  stones,  stumps, 
or  other  obstructions.  It  digs  a  borrow  pit  of  smooth  and  uniform 
cross-section  and  deposits  the  material  by  means  of  an  adjustable 
belt  conveyor,  at  any  desired  distance  from  the  pit.  The  work 
which  this  machine  does  is  nearly  mechanically  perfect,,  and 
has  a  much  more  finished  appearance  than  that  done  with  a 
dredge. 

The  author  prefers  a  levee  made  with  scrapers  on  account  of  the 
constant  compacting  given  the  embankment  during  construction, 
by  the  moving  over  it  of  the  teams.  Although  the  material  falls 
from  a  machine  excavator  with  considerable  force,  yet  the  resulting 
consolidation  in  the  bank  is  usually  "spotty"  and  uneven. 

The  capacity  of  an  excavator  in  levee  construction  depends  on 
local  conditions,  size  of  excavator,  operation,  supervision,  etc.  A 
machine  excavator  equipped  with  a  ij-cu.  yd.  bucket  or  dipper, 
under  average  working  conditions  should  excavate  and  place  about 
1,000  cu.  yd.  during  a  lo-hour  day  at  an  average  operating  cost  of 
about  5  cents.  The^average  cost  of  construction  with  scrapers 
would  be  about  8  cents. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  307 

129.  Bibliography. — For  further  information,  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  the  following:  . 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Dikes  of  Holland  by  G.  H.  Matthes. 

2.  Excavating  Machinery  by  J.  O.  Wright.     Bulletin  published  in  1904  by 
Department  of  Drainage  Investigation  of  U.  S.   Department  of  Agriculture, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  The  Construction  of  the  Levee  Below  the  Recent  Colorado  River  Break, 
C.  W.  Ozias;  Engineering  News,  May  16,  1907.     Illustrated,  1,800  words. 

2.  Dike   at   Herring  River,  Wellfleet,  Massachusetts,   Frank   W.   Hodgdon; 
Engineering  News,  August  n,  1910.     1,200  words. 

3.  Dredges  for  Levee  Building,  Enos  Brown;  Scientific  American,  December 
20,  1902.     Illustrated.  500  words. 

4.  Method  of  Constructing  and  Maintaining  Peat  Levees,  Nathaniel  Ellery; 
Engineering-Contracting,  October  27,  1909. 


CHAPTER  X 
THE   COMPARATIVE  USE   OF  EXCAVATING   MACHINERY 

132.  General  Considerations. — It  is  clearly  impossible  to  lay 
down  any  rules  or  state  any  formulae  by  means  of  which  an  excavator 
could  be  arbitrarily  selected  for  any  proposed  work.  There  are 
always  so  many  variable  conditions  and  unknown  and  unforeseen 
factors  to  consider,  that  it  is  to  a  great  extent  a  matter  of  judgment. 
This  essential  but  rare  quality  is  born  in  some  people,  but  by  most 
of  us  must  be  acquired  by  experience. 

One  of  the  primary  considerations  in  the  choice  of  an  excavator 
for  any  particular  piece  of  work  is  the  size  of  the  job  or  the  amount 
of  excavation  to  be  made.  Unless  the  work  is  of  sufficient  magni- 
tude, it  would  not  pay  to  use  a  dredge  which  must  be  shipped 
knocked  down  or  in  a  dismantled  condition,  transported  to  the  site 
of  the  proposed  work,  and  erected.  All  this  is  expensive  and  re- 
quires some  weeks  and  sometimes  several  months.  This  outlay 
must  be  added  to  the  operating  expenses  in  order  to  determine  the 
total  cost  of  the  work.  Hence,  it  is  not  generally  economical  to 
use  a  dredge  on  a  job  where  not  more  than  50,000  cu.  yd.  of  ex- 
cavation can  be  handled  with  one  set-up  of  the  machine.  A  small 
work,  such  as  an  isolated  ditch  or  levee,  is  often  a  difficult  thing  to 
construct,  because  the  average  contractor  does  not  care  to  take  the 
trouble  to  ship  an  excavator  to  the  site  of  the  work  for  the  possible 
small  profit.  The  author  recalls  several  cases  where  it  was  necessary, 
after  long  delays,  to  interest  and  instruct  local  parties  in  the  use 
of  simple  types  of  excavators,  in  order  to  get  ditches  built.  There 
is  at  present  (1913),  a  great  field  throughout  the  South  and  West  for 
excavators  adapted  for  small  ditches.  A  machine  of  the  wheel  ex- 
cavator type,  as  described  in  Section  C,  Chapter  VI,  is  probably 
the  best  for  such  work. 

A  contractor  generally  uses  the  machinery  which  he  happens  to 
have  on  hand,  sometimes  without  regard  to  its  adaptability  for 
the  proposed  work.  To  contractors  with  small  capital  this  is 
perhaps  an  economic  necessity.  But,  as  a  rule,  it  is  for  the  interest 
of  the  contractor,  the  client  and  all  concerned,  that  the  most  suitable 

308 


MASSENA  CANAL,  NEW  YORK  309 

and  efficient  machine  shall  be  used,  and  used  intelligently  on  every 
piece  of  work.  To  that  end,  the  engineer  should  recommend  the 
type  of  excavator  to  be  employed  and  the  client  should  see  that  his 
contract  with  the  contractor  contains  a  clause  requiring  that  proper 
and  efficient  machinery  shall  be  used  at  all  times  on  all  parts  of  the 
work. 

The  following  tables  of  the  comparative  costs  of  the  various  types 
of  excavators  are  given  to  supply  in  a  purely  relative  manner  this 
information  on  a  few  representative  jobs,  where  such  information 
has  been  accurately  compiled. 

133.  Massena  Canal,  New  York.— A  large  hydraulic  power  canal 
in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.,  was  constructed  from  1897  to  1901, 
to  divert  water  from  the  St.  Lawrence  River  for  power  purposes. 
The  canal  has  a  length  of  about  3  miles,  top  width  of  225  ft.  and 
average  depth  of  25  ft.  The  material  excavated  was  mostly  sand, 
clay  and  gravel,  but  considerable  indurated  clay  and  boulders  were 
removed. 

HYDRAULIC  DREDGE  NO.  I 

This  dredge  had  a  southern  pine  hull,  65  ft.  long,  30  ft.  wide,  and 
6  ft.  deep.  The  A-frame  was  of  12X12. -in.  timbers  45  ft.  high  and 
there  were  two  spuds  of  9X16  in.  and  40  ft.  long.  The  wrought-iron 
suction  and  discharge  pipes  were  i  ft.  in  diameter  and  the  suction 
pipe  was  equipped  with  a  rotary  cutter  to  loosen  the  material.  Steam 
was  supplied  by  a  i25~h.p.  boiler  to  a  Lidgerwood,  compound,  con- 
densing engine  of  125  h.p.  The  excavated  material  was  lifted  to  a 
height  of  30  ft.  above  the  water  level,  excavated  to  a  depth  of  22  ft. 
below  the  water  surface  and  discharged  1,200  ft.  The  average  dis- 
charge contained  25  per  cent,  of  solid  material,  ranging  from  7  to  30 
per  cent.  This  dredge  successfully  excavated  sand,  clay  and  gravel 
but  could  not  remove  the  indurated  clay.  The  total  working  time 
was  three  seasons  of  about  eight  months  each,  six  days  per  week 
and  two  shifts  of  n  hours  each  per  day.  Each  shift  contained  the 
following  labor : 

i  captain 

i  engineer 

i  fireman 

i  oiler 

i  deckhand  foreman 

3  laborers  @  15  cents 

The  total  labor  cost  for  an  n-hour  shift  was  $17-95- 


310  THE  USE  OF  EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 

The  daily  operating  cost  is  as  follows : 

Labor  and  supervision, 

9  tons  coal  @  $3, 

Oil,  waste,  etc., 

Interest,  repairs  and  renewals,1 

Care  during  winter,  $209, 

Total  for  22-hour  day,  $95.  70 

Average  daily  output,  1,125  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  8. 5  cents. 

HYDRAULIC  DREDGE  NO.  II 

This  dredge  was  provided  with  i8-in.  diameter  suction  and  discharge 
pipes  and  was  similar  to  Dredge  No.  I,  except  that  it  was  larger  in 
every  way.  The  material  and  distance  to  which  it  was  moved  were 
the  same.  A  spudman  was  required  extra  for  this  larger  dredge, 
making  the  total  labor  cost,  for  an  n-hour  shift,  $20.95.  The  same 
rates  of  interest  and  depreciation  were  assumed  but  based  on  an 
initial  cost  of  $60,000. 

The  daily  operating  cost  is  as  follows : 

Labor  and  supervision,  $41 . 90 

1 8  tons  coal  @  $3,  54 .00 

Oil,  waste,  etc.,  8.00 

Interest,  repairs  and  renewals,  40. 19 

Care  during  winter,  i .  oo 


Total  for  22-hour  day,  $145.09 

Average  daily  output,  i  544  cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  9 . 4  cents. 

DIPPER  DREDGE 

This  dredge  had  a  hull  85  ft.  long,  28  ft.  wide  and  10  ft.  deep. 
Three  timber  spuds,  20  in.  square  were  used.  The  dipper  arm  was 
28  ft.  long  of  timber  sheathed  with  steel  and  carrying  a  dipper  of 
2  \  cu.  yd.  capacity.  The  cutting  edge  of  the  dipper  was  provided 
with  three  steel  teeth,  about  6X5  in.  The  excavated  material  wras 
deposited  in  two  scows,  each  having  a  dropping  pocket  with  a  capacity 
of  140  cu.  yd.  A  tug  towed  the  scows  into  the  St.  Lawrence  River, 

1  The  annual  depreciation  and  repairs  were  assumed  as  10  per  cent,  on  the 
initial  cost  of  $40,000  or  $4,000.  Interest  on  the  investment  was  taken  at  4  per 
cent,  or  $1,600.  This  makes  a  total  overhead  charge  of  $5,600,  which  at  209 
working  days  per  year,  gives  a  daily  expense  of  $26.80. 


COLBERT  SHOALS  CANAL,  ALABAMA  311 

an  average  distance  of  about  5,500  ft.  The  daily  wages  of  the  crew 
of  dredge,  tug  and  scows,  the  cost  of  coal,  supplies,  etc.,  amounted 
to  $30.56  for  10  hours. 

The  daily  operating  cost  is  as  follows : 

Labor,  supervision,  coal  and  supplies,  $30.56 

Interest  repairs  and  renewals,1  28.80 

Care  during  winter,  i.oo 


Total  for  lo-hour  day,  $60.36 

Average  daily  output,  754  Cu.  yd. 

Cost  of  excavation  per  cubic  yard,  8 .  o  cents. 

Two  other  dredges  worked  one  season.  The  larger  dredge  had  a 
6-cu.  yd.  dipper,  while  the  smaller  one  had  a  i  ^-cu.  yd.  dipper.  The 
cost  of  operation  was  practically  the  same  as  for  the  2  J-cu.  yd.  dredge. 

The  dipper  dredges  were  successful  in  the  handling  of  the  indurated 
clay  and  boulders.  The  former  had  to  be  blasted  when  dry  in  order 
that  the  dredge  could  excavate  it. 

134.  The  Colbert  Shoals  Canal,  Alabama.2 — The  Colbert  Shoals 
Canal  was  constructed  several  years  ago  (1905-06-07),  along  the 
south  bank  of  the  Tennessee  River  to  overcome  the  obstructions  to 
navigation  offered  by  the  Colbert  and  Bee  Tree  Shoals  in  the  river. 
The  lower  end  of  the  canal  is  near  Riverton,  Alabama.  The  section 
of  the  canal  to  be  considered  lies  through  the  bottom-lands  of  the 
river  valley.  These  lands  were  of  an  alluvial  formation  and  were 
low  away  from  the  river  along  the  hills.  Part  of  the  canal  was 
located  in  this  lowland  and  this  necessitated  the  wasting  of  all  the 
material  on  the  river  side  of  the  canal. 

The  canal  (section  under  consideration)  has  a  length  of  5.3  miles, 
a  bottom  width  of  112  ft.  and  side  slopes  of  2  to  i.  Berms  of  15  ft. 
width  were  left  on  both  sides  of  the  canal  and  the  berm  on  the  river 
side  was  brought  to  a  height  of  95  ft.  above  low  water  in  the  canal. 

Several  kinds  of  excavators  were  used  in  this  work  and  were  used 
successively  as  occasion  demanded  for  the  excavation  of  different 
classes  of  material.  The  wheel  scrapers,  elevating  graders  and  steam 
shovel  were  used  to  remove  the  upper  and  loose  soil,  while  the  drag- 
line excavators  were  applied  to  the  lower  and  harder  soil.  The 

1  The  annual  depreciation  and  repairs  were  assumed  as  10  per  cent,  on  the 
initial  cost  of  dredge,  tug  and  two  scows,  of  $43,000  or  $4,300.  Interest  on  the 
investment  was  taken  at  4  per  cent,  or  $1,720.  This  makes  a  total  overhead 
charge  of  $6,020,  which  at  212  working  days  per  year,  gives  a  daily  expense  of 
$28.80. 

Abstracted  from  Professional  Memoirs,  U.  S.  Engineers,  Oct.-Dec.  1911. 


312          THE  USE  OF  EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 

latter  were  also  found  to  be  more  efficient  in  excavating  in  pits  con- 
taining 2  to  3  ft.  of  water,  and  heavy  rains  did  not  interfere  with 
their  operation.  This  was  found  to  be  the  only  type  of  excavator 
which  could  worl^:  continuously  through  the  day  with  two  or  three 
shifts. 

Following  is  a  detailed  description  of  the  various  types  of  excavators 
used. 

Wheel  Scrapers  and  Elevating  Graders. — The  wheel  scrapers 
used  were  standard  two- wheel  scrapers  with  two-horse  teams.  The 
elevating  graders  used  were  the  "Standard  Western  Elevating 
Graders,"  equipped  with  2i-ft.  elevators  and  using  extra  heavy  plows. 

The  scrapers  were  used  to  assist  the  elevating  graders  in  excavating 
and  filling  runways,  stripping  the  surface  of  sod  and  cornstalks  and 
in  preparing  roadways  for  the  traction  engines,  which  hauled  the 
elevating  graders.  The  latter  were  served  by  eight  four-horse  dump 
wagons  for  each  machine.  The  only  portions  of  the  canal  completed 
by  the  graders  were  the  two  sections  from  Stations  10  to  20  and  from 
Stations  145  to  163.  The  graders  were  found  impracticable  in  exca- 
vating sticky  "gumbo"  soil,  and  hard  pan.  On  the  section  from 
Stations  222  to  290,  the  graders  with  the  assistance  of  the  scrapers 
made  an  excavation  no  to  120  ft.  in  width  and  from  8  to  10  ft.  in 
depth.  This  left  a  berm  of  about  30  ft.  in  width  on  each  side  for 
the  drag-line  excavators  to  work  from  in  completing  the  excavation. 

Drag-line  Bucket  Excavators. — Two  Armstrong  excavators  equip- 
ped with  2-cu.  yd.  Page  buckets  were  used.  These  machines  were 
of  the  standard  revolving  traction  type  and  were  equipped  with  8i-ft. 
booms  and  double-drum  hoisting  engines  with  ioXi2-in.  cylinders. 
A  third  drag-line  excavator  known  as  the  McMyler  machine,  was 
used  in  coordination  with  the  two  Armstrong  excavators.  This 
excavator  was  equipped  with  a  i  J-cu.  yd.  bucket. 

These  machines  moved  along  the  berms  left  by  the  scrapers  and 
elevating  graders  and  completed  the  excavation  in  the  following 
manner.  One  Armstrong  machine  operated  in  front  taking  out  the 
section  from  the  center  of  the  ditch  to  the  foot  of  the  side  slope,  the 
McMyler  machine  followed  and  trimmed  the  slope  and  the  other 
Armstrong  excavator  followed  on  the  other  berm  and  removed  the 
remainder  of  the  material. 

Steam  Shovel. — The  steam-shovel  outfit  consisted  of  a  65-ton 
Marion  shovel,  one  25-ton  and  one  20- ton  dinkey  locomotive,  light 
"Oliver"  i2-yd.  side-dump  cars,  about  if  miles  of  standard-gage 
track,  a  tank,  pipe  line  and  pump. 


COLBERT  SHOALS  CANAL,  ALABAMA 


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314         THE  USE  OF  EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 

The  steam-shovel  outfit  operated  between  Stations  196  and  222 
in  the  removal  of  the  hillside  and  the  dry  material  from  the  top  of  the 
cut.  It  was  found  that  the  shovel  was  too  large  for  economical 
operation  with  the  small -train  equipment.  The  lower  section  of  the 
trench  ran  through  such  soft  material  in  places  as  to  make  the  use 
of  the  shovel  impracticable.  About  42,000  cu.  yd.  of  this  section 
were  completed  by  the  drag-line  excavators. 

The  table  on  page  313  gives  the  quantities  and  unit  costs  on  this 
work.  x 

The  following  table  shows  the  comparative  daily  labor  costs  of 
operation  for  the  various  excavators: 

DRAG-BUCKET  EXCAVATORS 

3  engineers  @  $260  per  month,    '  $8.66 

3  firemen  @  $2  per  day,  6 .  oo 

3  laborers  @  $1.50  per  day,  4. 50 

i  master  mechanic  @  $125  per  month,  4. 16 

i  pumpman  @  $1.50  per  day,  1.50 

i  blacksmith  @  $3  per  day,  3 .  oo 

i  foreman  @  $75  per  month,  2 . 50 

1  coal  wagon  driver  @  $2.  per  day,  2. op 

Total  for  3  excavators,  $32.32 

Cost  for  each  excavator,  $10.  77 

ELEVATING  GRADERS 

2  engineers  @  $80  ($160),  per  month, 

2  firemen  @  $1.75  per  day, 

16  teams  (four-horse)  @  $2.50  per  day, 
water  wagon  with  driver,  $2  per  day, 
pumpman  @  $1.50  per  day, 
blacksmith  @  $3  per  day, 
helper  @  $i .  50  per  day, 
foreman  @  $75  per  month, 

Total  cost  for  two  graders,  $59 . 33 

Cost  for  each  grader,  $29 . 66 

WHEEL  SCRAPERS 
15  wheel  scrapers  @  $2  per  day, 

3  snap  teams  @  $2.  25  per  day, 
5  laborers  ©$1.75  per  day, 

i  blacksmith  @  $3  per  day, 
i  helper  @  $i .  50  per  day, 
i  foreman  @  $75  per  month, 

Total  cost, 

Cost  for  each  scraper, 


STATE  DRAINAGE  WORK,  MINNESOTA  315 

STEAM  SHOVEL 

i  foreman  @  $125  per  month,  $4. 16 

i  shovel  engineer  @  $125  per  month,  4. 16 

i  craneman  @  $90  per  month,  3.00 

i  shovel  fireman  @  $2.00  per  day,  2.00 

i  blacksmith  @  $3.00  per  day,  3.00 

i  helper  @  $i . 50  per  day,  i .  50 

i  pumpman  @  $i .  50  per  day,  i .  50 

1  coal  wagon  @  $2 .  per  day,  2 .  oo 

2  dinkey  engineers  @  $2.  per  day,  4.00 
2  fireman  @  $i .  50  per  day,  3 .  oo 

2  brakeman  @  $i .  50  per  day,  3 .  oo 
1 6  laborers  on  dump  @  $i .  50  per  day,                              24 .  oo 

3  laborers  at  shovel  @  $i .  50  per  day,  4.  50 

Total  cost,  $59.82 

135.  State  Drainage  Work,  Minnesota. — The  following  figures  are 
given  by  Mr.  George  A.  Ralph,  State  Drainage  Engineer  of  Minnesota 
for  the  period  from  1886  to  1906: 

SLIP  SCRAPER  WORK 

Cost  per  c.u.  yd. 

Not  exceeding  6  ft.  in  depth,  $o.  10 

Not  exceeding  10  ft.  in  depth,  0.12 

Not  exceeding  12  ft.  in  depth,  o.  14 

New  Era  grader  work,  0.08 

Shovel  work,  2  to  6  ft.  deep,  o.  15 

Shovel  work,  2  to  10  ft.  deep,  o.  20 

Hayknife  work,  2  to  4  ft.  deep,  0.12 

Hand  labor  in  timbered  swamps,  $o.  15  to  o.  20 
Good  dredge  work,  0.08 

Dredge  work,  unfavorable  conditions,  $o.  10  to  o.  14 

Capstan  plow,  $0.40  to  0.60 

136.  Bibliography. — For   additional    information,   consult   the 
following : 

BOOKS 

1.  The  Chicago  Main  Drainage  Channel,  by  C.  S.  Hill,  published  in  1896  by 
Engineering  News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     129  pages,  8  by  n  in.,  105 
figures. 

2.  Dredges  and  Dredging,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1911  by  D.  Van 
Nostrand,  New  York.     294  pages,  6  by  9  in.,  Illustrated  ,  cost  $3. 

3.  Earth  and  Rock  Excavation,  by  Charles  Prelini,  published  in  1905  by 
D.  Van  Nostrand,  New  York.     421  pages,  167  figures,  6  by  9  in.,  cost  $3. 

4.  Earthwork  and  Its  Cost,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Engineering 
News  Publishing  Co.,  New  York.     254  pages,  54  figures,  5%  by  7  in.,  cost  $2. 


316         THE  USE  OF  EXCAVATING  MACHINERY 

5.  Handbook  of  Cost  Data,  by  H.  P.  Gillette,  published  in  1910  by  Myron  C. 
Clark  Publishing  Co.,  Chicago.     1,900  pages,  4!  by  7  in.,  cost  $5. 

MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

1.  The    American   Dredgers   on    the   Panama    Canal  ;    Scientific   American 
Supplement,  February  14,  1885. 

2.  American  Earthwork  Machinery;  The  Engineer,  London,  August  9,  1912. 
First  Part,  4,500  words, 

3.  The  Cape  Cod  Canal,  R.  P.  Getty;  Cassier's  Magazine,  January,  1911. 

4.  The  Chicago  Drainage   Canal;   the  Railway  Review,  June  9,   1894,   to 
August  18,  1894  and  Engineering  News,  May  16,  1895,  to  June  27,  1895. 

5.  Comparative  Methods  and  Costs  of  Earth  Excavation  at  Colbert  Shoals 
Canal,  Charles  E.  Bright;  Engineering- Contracting,  October  18,  1911.     2,500 
words. 

6.  Comparison   of  the  Working  Costs  of  the  English  or  New  Zealand  and 
California  Types  of  Dredges,  W.  H.  Cutter;  Mining  Journal,  November  20,  1909. 
2,500  words. 

7.  Cost  of  Canal  Excavation  Through  Peat  and  Soft  Material;  Engineering 
Record,  April  7,  1906. 

8.  Cost  of  Dredging  in  the  Lower  Danube,  C.  H.  L.  Kuehl;  Engineering  News, 
May  9,  1895. 

9.  Cost  of  Dredging  in  the  United  States,  T.  Jenkins  Mains;    Engineering 
News,  February  17,  1898.     2,500  words. 

10.  Cost  of  Dredging  on  the  Massena  Canal,  John  Bogart;  Engineering  News, 
October  30,  1902.     1,100  words. 

ir.  Cost  of  Dredging  with  Different  Classes  of  Plant,  John  Bogart,  En- 
gineering Record,  September  13,  1902.     5,000  words. 

12.  Cost  of  Earthwork  in  Lower  Egypt;  The  Engineer,  London,  June  16, 
1911.     4,000  words. 

13.  Cost  of  Excavation  on  Large  Engineering  Works;  The  Engineer,  London, 
June  23,  1911.     First  Part,  3,500  words. 

14.  The  Cost  of  Hydra ulic  Dredging  on  the   Mississippi  River,  Lieut.  Col. 
C.  B.  Sears;  Engineering  Record,  March  21,  1908.     1,200  words. 

15.  The  Cost  of  Rock  Excavation  in  Open  Cutting;  The  Engineer,  London, 
April  26,  1912.     First  Part,  3,500  words. 

16.  Current  Practice  in  Blasting  and  Dredging,  W.  L.  Saunders;  Engineering- 
Contracting,  April  24,  1912. 

17.  Drainage  Machinery  of  the  Netherlands;  Engineering  News,  August  3, 

I893- 

18.  Dredging   and    Dredging   Apph'ances,    Brysson    Cunningham;    Cassier's 
Magazine,  November,  1905. 

19.  Dredging  Costs  on  the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  in  Other  Parts  of  Canada, 
Emile  Low;  Engineering  News,  January  30,  1908.     1,700  words. 

20.  Dredging  Equipment  on  the  Panama  Canal,  F.  B.  Maltby;  Proceedings 
of  the  Engineers  Club  of  Philadelphia,  January,  1908.     1,000  words. 

21.  Dredging   Operations   and   Appliances,  J.  J.  Webster;    Proceedings   of 
Institute  of  Civil  Engineers,  Vol.  LXXXIX. 

1  A  large  number  of   general  articles  on  earth  excavation  and  dredging  are 
included  in  this  list 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  317 

22.  Earth  Excavation,  H.  Contag;  Zeitschrift  des  Vereines  Deutsher  Ingeni- 
eure,  September  3,  1910.     Illustrated,  First  Part,  7,200  words. 

23.  Electricity  in   Excavation   Work,    W.    G.  Lancaster;    General   Electric 
Review,  March,  1912.     Illustrated,  3,000  words. 

24.  English  and  American  Dredging  Practice,  A.  H.  Robinson;  Engineering 
News,  March  19,  1896.     1,900  words. 

25.  The  Evolution  of  Dredging  Machinery,  H.  St.  L.  Coppe"e;  Engineering 
News,  April  30,  1896.     1,500  words. 

26.  Machinery  for  Canal  and  Ditch  Excavation;  Engineering  News,  August 
26, 1909. 

27.  Methods  and  Costs  of  Dredging  the  St.  Lawrence  River;  Engineering- 
Contracting,  November  4,  1908. 

28.  Modern  Dredging  Appliances  for  Waterways,  J.   A.   Seager;   Cassier's 
Magazine,  January,  1910.     Illustrated,  3,500  words. 

29.  Modern   Machinery  for   Excavating  and   Dredging,   A.   W.   Robinson; 
Engineering  Magazine,  March  and  April,  1903. 

30.  U.  S.  Government  Contract  Dredging;  Engineering  News,  July  n,  1912. 
2,500  words. 


APPENDIX  A 

GENERAL  SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  A  MODERN  STEAM  SHOVEL 
FOR  RAILWAY  CONSTRUCTION 

The  following  is  an  abstract  of  the  report  of  a  subcommittee  of 
Committee  No.  i  on  Roadways  to  the  American  Railway  Engineering 
and  Maintenance  of  Way  Association  at  its  Eighth  Annual  Convention 
in  Chicago,  Illinois,  March  19  to  21,  1907. 

The  Committee  made  the  following  recommendations  as  regards 
the  use  of  different  classes  of  shovels  for  different  purposes. 

(1)  In  opening  up  new  lines,  it  is  often  advisable  to  have  a  small 
light  traction  shovel  to  precede  the  regular  work  and  cast  out  to  the 
sides  material  from  cuts,  so  that  the  loading  track  grades  may  be  re- 
duced and  economically  operated. 

(2)  A  standard  shovel,  such  as  the  Committee  will  recommend,  will 
be  required,  and  will  be  available  either  on  new  lines  or  for  improvement 
work. 

(3)  It  frequently  occurs  that  a  standard  shovel  is  too  heavy  for 
certain  soft  cuts  where  it  might  be  advisable  to  finish  with  a  much 
lighter  class  of  machine. 

(4)  Many  railroads  are  fortunate  in  possessing  large  ballast  pits,  in 
which  it  would  be  advisable  to  use  a  shovel  much  larger  than  the 
standard. 

In  any  event,  and  irrespective  of  the  use  to  which  the  shovel  is 
assigned,  there  are  three  important  cardinal  points  that  should  be 
given  careful  attention  in  the  selection  of  any  and  all  machines  of  this 
class. 

These  are  in  their  order: 

(1)  Care  in  the  selection,  inspection  and  acceptance  of  all  material 
that  enters  into  every  part  of  the  machine. 

(2)  Design  for  strength. 

(3)  Design  for  production. 

The  Committee  makes  the  following  recommendations  as  to  the 
specifications  for  a  Standard  Shovel,  which  will  meet  the  largest 
requirements  for  "  General  Roadway  Construction." 

318 


STEAM  SHOVELS  319 

d)  Steam  Shovels. 

(a)  Weight,  70  tons. 

(b)  Capacity  of  dipper,  2^  yd. 

(c)  Steam  pressure,  120  lb/ 

(d)  Clear  height  above  rail  of  shovel  track  at  which  dipper  Unloads,  16  ft. 

(e)  Depth  below  rail  of  shovel  track  to  which  dipper  will  dig,  4  ft. 

(f)  Number  of  movements  of  dipper  per  minute  from  time  of  entering  bank 
to  time  of  entering  bank,  three. 

(g)  Cable  hoist, 
(h)  Cable  swing. 

(i)    Permanent  housing  of  engineer  and  fireman  and  also  protection  for 
cranesman. 

(j)    Capacity  of  tank,  2,000  gal. 

(k)  Capacity  of  coal  bunker,  4  tons. 

(i)  The  following  list  of  repair  parts  should  be  carried. 

i  hoisting  engine  cable  or  chain. 

i  thrusting  engine  cable  or  chain. 

i  swinging  engine  cable  or  chain. 

i  set  dipper  teeth. 

i  dipper  latch. 

12  cold  shuts. 

6  cable  clamps. 

i  U-bolt. 

Duplicate  of  each  sheave  on  machine. 

Lot  assorted  bolts  and  nuts. 

Lot  assorted  pipes  and  fittings. 

Lot  assorted  water  glasses, 
(m)  The  following  list  of  repair  tools  should  be  carried. 

i  blacksmith  forge  with  anvil  and  complete  tools. 

i  small  bench  vise. 

3  pipe  wrenches,  assorted  sizes. 

3  monkey  wrenches,  assorted  sizes. 

6  chilson  wrenches,  assorted  sizes. 

i  ratchet  with  assorted  twist  drills. 

6  round  files,  assorted  sizes. 

i  hack  saw,  with  twelve  blades. 

i  set  pipe  taps  and  dies. 

1  set  bolt  taps  and  dies. 

6  cold  chisels,  assorted  sizes. 

2  machinist's  hammers. 
2  sledges. 

2  switch  chains. 
2  re-railing  frogs. 
2  ball-bearing  jacks, 
i  siphon,  complete. 
i  axe. 
i  hand  saw. 

1  set  triple  blocks  with  rope. 

2  lining  bars. 


320          SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  STEAM  SHOVELS 

i  pinch  bar. 

6  shovels. 

6  picks. 

i  coal  scoop. 

i  flue  cleaner. 

i  fire  hoe. 

i  clinker  hook. 

1  slash  bar. 

2  hand  lanterns. 
2  torches. 

Assortment  of  packing. 
Assorted  oil,  in  cans. 

(n)  A  spread  of  jack  arms,  18  ft. 

(o)  Four  pitmen. 

(p)  Balance  of  opinion  is  against  the  construction  of  the  shovel  so  that  it 
may  swing  back  of  the  jack  arms,  so  that  cars  can  be  loaded  in  tunnel  or 
rock  work  where  entrance  is  narrow  and  cars  cannot  be  pulled  beyond 
shovel. 

(2)  Shovel  track. 

(a)  Use  "T"  rails  on  ties. 

(b)  Sections  should  be  6  ft.  long. 

(c)  Strap  joint. 

(3)  Gage  of  track  for  dump  cars. 

(a)  Use  standard  gage. 

(4)  Style  and  capacity  of  disposal  cars. 

(a)  Use  6-yd.  dump  cars  where  the  cut  is  under  6  ft.  and  haul  is  less  than 
i  mile. 

(b)  and  (c)   Use  standard  car  with  permanent  sides  with  swinging  hinged 
doors  and  cars  connected  by  aprons,  where  cut  is  under  6  ft.  and  haul  is 
from  i  to  6  miles  and  over. 

(d)  Use  6-yd.  dump  car  where  the  cut  is  over  6  ft.  and  the  haul  is  less  than 
i  mile. 

(e)  and  (f)  Use  same  car  as  described  under  (b)  and  (c)  where  the  cut  is 
over  6  ft.  and  the  haul  is  from  i  to  6  miles  and  over. 

The  following  recommendations  are  made  concerning  the  standard 
flat  car. 

(1)  See  that  car  is  strong  enough  for  the  purpose. 

(2)  Note  that  brake- wheels  are  in  good  condition,  and  in  case  material 
is  to  be  plowed  off,  these  must  be  placed  at  side  of  car. 

(3)  Care  should  be  taken  that  stake  pockets  are  in  good  condition  and 
not  spaced  too  far  apart.     Four  feet  apart  in  center  of  car  and  closer 
at  ends  is  considered  good  practice. 

(4)  See  that  the  stakes   are   strong   enough   to   prevent   accident   or 
derailment  of  plow. 

(g)  Use  light  cars  and  light  trestles  where  dirt  is  dumped  from  trestle  to 
nil  for  a  haul  less  than  2  miles. 

(5)  Operation  of  unloading  plows. 

(a)  Cable  should  be  handled  with  an  auxiliary  engine  and  drum.  The 
machine  should  be  able  to  develop  a  6o-ton  pull  and  weigh  about  28 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  EMBANKMENTS  321 

tons.     Steam  cylinders  12X12.     Diameter  of  drum,  4^  ft.,  which  will 

permit  four  wraps  of  i^-in.  cable  to  be  made, 
(b)  Upon  track  with  light  raise,  use  center  plow,  but  side  plows  are  more 

advantageous  in  making  heavy  fills, 
(c)   Use  of  reversible  plow  is  not  satisfactory, 
(d)  Use  a  strong  plow  with  trailer.     Plow  should  be  not  less  than  4!  ft. 

high  and  36  ft.  in  length  over  all. 
(e)-  Weight  of  plow  should  be  7  tons. 

(6)  Size  and  length  of  cable. 

Use  a  i^-in.  diameter  cable  with  a  length  of  1,200  ft. 

(7)  Form  of  spreader  or  leveler. 

(a)  Use  a  two-arm  spreader. 

(b)  Use  air  pressure  for  operation. 

(c)  Use  a  spread  of  wings  of  20  ft. 

(d)  Angle  of  wings  should  be  45  degrees. 

(e)  Spreader  should  deposit  material  2  ft.  above  rail. 

(f)  Spreader  should  work  2  ft.  below  rail. 

(8)  Construction  of  embankments  with  trains  on  a  new  location. 

(a)  A  vertical  limit  of  4  ft.  should  be  used  when  raising  track  with  material 
dumped. 

(b)  Four  feet  should  not  be  exceeded  in  the  use  of  a  central  core  put  up 
by  teams  and  widened  with  shovel  material.     This  method  should  be 
used  only  when  material  can  be  cheaply  borrowed  from  the  side. 

(c)  Use  a  temporary  filling  trestle  for  fills  over  4  ft.  in  height. 

(d)  Other  methods  would  comprise  the  use  of  ordinary  graders,  cableways, 
power  scrapers,  traveling  cranes,  suspended  bridges  and  other  types  of 
mechanical   appliances.     The   economical   and   efficient   use   of   these 
would  depend  upon  conditions  and  the  amount  of  material  to  be  handled. 

(9)  Construction  of  embankments  with  trains  in  present  location  of  track  under 

traffic. 

(a)  Where  sand,  gravel  or  cinders  can  be  used,  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances it  might  be  economical  to  use  this  method,  where  the  track  is 
not  to  be  raised  to  exceed  4  ft.     The  lifting  should  be  done  gradually 
with  no  one  lift  to  exceed  6  in. 

(b)  When  track  is  to  be  raised  to  exceed  4  ft.  construct  a  temporary  track 
to  one  side  to  carry  traffic  and  jack  up  main  track  vertically  in  place. 

(c)  When  track  is  to  be  raised  to  exceed  6  ft.  throw  main  track  to  one  side 
and  build  a  trestle. 

(d)  Other  methods  would  be  as  follows.     Build  a  new  temporary  grade 
outside  of  the  slopes  stakes  for  the  new  embankment.     Widen  the  em- 
bankment to  its  full  width  and  build  it  as  much  higher  as  it  can  be  made 
to  avoid  interference  with  traffic;  then  build  a  new  track  on  this  new 
bank,  when  the  old  track  can  be  taken  up  and  bank  raised.     This 
last  method  is  to  be  continued  until  the  final  height  is  attained. 

(10)  Allowances  for  shrinkage  in  new  embankments. 

Shrinkage  should  be  allowed  for  both  in  the  width  and  height  of  an  em- 
bankment.    The  following  quotation  is  made  from  a  letter  of  Mr. 
F.  J.  Slifer,  chairman  of  this  Committee,  to  a  member  of  the  Association. 
"In  reply  to  yours  of  June  igth,  I  would  say  that  there  appear  to  be  no 

21 


322          SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  STEAM  SHOVELS 

theoretical  rules  to  decide  what  amount  of  allowance  should  be  made  for  settle- 
ment of  new  enbankments.  Naturally  the  question  is  affected  by  the  character 
of  the  foundation  under  the  embankment  and  the  character  of  the  material 
making  the  embankment.  The  ordinary  rule  is  to  use  10  per  cent,  for  shrinkage 
in  height  up  to  25  ft.  and  15  per  cent,  for  banks  over  25  ft.  in  height,  looks  well 
in  a  book,  but  it  would  appear  foolish  to  follow  such  a  rule  by  making  a  loo-ft. 
embankment  115  ft.  high.  If  you  did  so,  the  chances  are  that  you  would  have 
to  lower  the  grade  before  the  track  could  be  laid. 

"I  believe  it  a  good  practice  to  allow  10  per  cent,  in  height  with  a  limit  of  5  ft., 
which  I  would  not  exceed  unless  the  foundation  is  in  a  swamp. 

"It  is  now  conceded  that  the  proper  place  to  provide  for  shrinkage  of  embank- 
ments is  in  the  width,  and  here  there  can  be  no  limit.  However,  in  your  case, 
where  you  have  good  material  and  foundations,  with  very  high  banks,  I  would 
recommend: 

10  per  cent,  increase  in  wridth  of  banks  less  than  25  ft.  high. 
15  per  cent,  increase  in  width  of  banks  between  25  and  50  ft.  high 
20  per  cent,  increase  in  widlh  of  banks  between  50  and  75  ft.  high. 
25  per  cent,  increase  in  width  of  banks  between  75  and  100  ft.  high. 

"Possibly  the  latter  is  too  strong,  and  that  there  should  be  a  limit  to  in- 
creasing width  as  well  as  height.  Banks  will  naturally  settle,  and  you  want  the 
material  on  the  shoulders  so  that  the  track  forces  may  keep  the  roadway  built 
up  to  its  full  height  and  width. 

(a)  Allow  15  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  black  dirt,  trestle  filling. 

(b)  Allow  5  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  the  use  of  black  dirt  in  raising  a  track  under 
traffic. 

(c)  Allow  10  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  clay,  trestle  filling. 

(d)  Allow  5  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  the  use  of  clay  in  raising  a  track  under 
traffic. 

(e)  Allow  6  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  sand,  trestle  filling. 

(f)  Allow  5  per  cent,  shrinkage  for  the  use  of  sand  in  raising  a  track  under 
traffic. 

The  Committee  recommends  the  use  of  the  three  blank  forms 
shown  below,  to  give  the  results  of  steam-shovel  work,  including 
quantity  of  material  moved  and  itemized  cost  of  same.  These  sepa- 
rate forms  are  as  follows: 

First. — A  daily  report  for  the  purpose  of  competition  between 
different  shovel  crews  through  the  medium  of  local  advertising  the 
result  of  each  shovel  track.  Such  reports  are  known  to  have  an 
excellent  effect  on  the  unit  cost  of  the  work. 

Second. — A  daily  report  for  local  office  use  in  reporting  amount  of 
work  done  with  itemized  costs. 

Third. — A  monthly  report  for  general  office  use  in  reporting  details 
for  the  period's  operation. 


RECORD  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  WORK 


323 


First 
RECORD  OF  STEAM  SHOVEL  NO 

From M 191. ..     To M 191 ... 

Engineer '. Cranesman 

Material Average  haul  stations 

Locomotives  No Cars  No Size 

Total  minutes  loading. . .     No.  Cars Minutes  per  car.  . No.  dippers. . 

Seconds  per  dipper Approximate  yardage 

Total  minutes  moving.  .  .  No.  moves Minutes  per  move 

Minutes  delay  waiting  for  Cars Weather 

Other  delays  (Minutes) General  conditions 

Total  hours  worked Hours  lost Total  hours  on  duty. 

Cause  hours  lost 


'oS   T3 
>     G 

d 
n 

of     ' 
*v   TJ 

05   "" 

Delays  waiting 
for  cars. 

Finished  loading 
and  ready 
to  move. 

bb 

a 
1 
1 

U 

1 

fi 

Time  moving. 

Other 
delays. 

>> 

13  ^4 

*o  S 
u  «« 

From 

To 

Time. 

Time. 

Mins. 

Time. 

Mins. 

No. 

No. 

Mins. 

Time. 

Time. 

Mins. 

Total 


Inspector. 


324          SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  STEAM  SHOVELS 

Second:     A  Daily  Report  for  local  office  use  in  reporting  amount  of  work  done 
with  itemized  costs. 

DAILY  STEAM-SHOVEL  REPORT 
STEAM  SHOVEL  No  ........  at  ......................         .............  191  .  . 

Face  of  Bank  .............................  Average  Length  of  Haul  ......... 

DETAILS  OF  LABOR.  CARS  LOADED. 

S.  S.  Crew  commenced  wk.  .  .  M.  >>    .     g     ^        v 

S.  S.  Crew  quit  work  ........  M.  •§  %     §     &    .    ^  £ 


Hrs.  Rate.  Amt.  Hart  Convert.   34'    80,000     35.6  side  .......... 

S.  S.  Engineer.  .................  .........   34'    80,000     25  .  3  cent  .......... 

S.  S.  Fireman  ..............  Rogers  .......   34'  100,000     29  .  3  .............. 

S.  S.  Cranesman  .........................   34'    80,000     29.3  .............. 

S.  S.  Watchman  .........................  34'    40,000     .................. 

S.  S.  Pitmen  ...............  Haskell  & 

Car  Repairers  ..............  Barker  .......   40'    80,000     36.  20  ............. 

Laborers  ............................................................... 

Pumpmen  ..................  Ingoldsby  .....   42'  100,000     42.4  .............. 

TOTAL  ............................................................. 

..........................  Flats  ............      80,000     29.3  .............. 

Spotting  Crew  com'd  work  .....  M  ............      60,000     22     .............. 

Spotting  Crew  quit  work  .......  M  ............      50,000    18.3  ............... 

..........................................      40,000     14.  7  .............. 

...........................  Coal  ............      60,000    36     .............. 

Engine  No  .................................      50,000    32.5  .....  ......... 

Engine  No  ................  „.  ................      40,000     23     .............. 

Engine  No  .................  6  yd.  dump  cars  ...........       6     .............. 

Conductor  .................  5  yd.  dump  cars  ..........       5     .............. 

Brakemen  ..................         TOTAL  ................................... 

Engine  Watchmen  ..........  Loads  left  over  from  previous  day  .............. 

.............  .  ............  Average  cost  per  cubic  yard  for  labor  ............ 

.........................  Average  cost  per  cubic  yard  for  material  .......... 

TOTAL  .................  Average  cost  per  cubic  yard  for  superintendence, 

Superintendence,  etc  ........     plant,  rent,  etc  ..................  ........... 

GRAND  TOTAL  ..........         TOTAL  Average  cost  per  cubic  yard  ......... 

SUPPLIES,    LOCOMOTIVES,    CARS,    PUMPS,    ETC. 

Cts.    Pts.      Cost.  Cts.     Pts.      Cost. 

Valve  Oil  .....  .....................  Coal  Loco  ............................ 

Engine  Oil  .........................  Waste  C.  C  .......................... 

Car  Oil  ............................  Waste  Wool  .......................... 

Signal  Oil  ........................  .  ..................................... 

Headlight  Oil  ........................................  .......  .  ........... 

Coal  Shovel  .......................  .  .         TOTAL  ........................... 

Kind  of  material  handled  ................................................ 

Character  of  work  performed  ............................................. 

Track  Conditions  ....................................................... 

General  Conditions  ...................................................... 

Weather.  .  . 


SPECIFICATIONS  FOR  STEAM  SHOVELS          325 


DELAYS 
Hrs.     Min.  Remarks. 


Waiting  for  cars 

Moving  Shovel 

Repairing  Shovel 

Repairing  Locomotive. . 

Other  Delays 

TOTAL  DELAYS.. 


(Signature). 


326  MONTHLY  STEAM  SHOVEL  REPORT 

Third:     A  Monthly  Report  for  General  Office  use  in  reporting  details  for  the 
period's  operation. 

MONTHLY  STEAM-SHOVEL  REPORT 

STEAM  SHOVEL  No AT MONTH 

Average  Face  of  Bank Average  Length  of  Haul 


General: 

Number  of  Days  Worked 

Average  Daily  Car  Output 

Average  Cubic  Yards  per  Car 

Total  Cubic  Yards 

Average  Cubic  Yards  per  Day - 

Actual  Time  Worked  by  S.  S 

Time  Delayed 

Percentage  of  Delays 

Number  and  Kind  of  Cars  Used 

Number  and  Kind  of  Engines 

Kind  of  Material 

Character  of  Work  Performed 

Track  Conditions 

General  Conditions 

Weather 

Total.          Per  day.      Per  yard. 
Labor: 

Cost  Shovel  Service , 

Cost  Train  Service 

Cost  Car  Repairs 

Cost  Dumping  Cars 

Cost  of  Superintendence  and  Plant  Rental 

TOTAL  Cost  Labor 

Used  Cost 

Total  cost,   per  day.    per  day. 
Supplies: 

Valve  Oil 

Engine  Oil 

Car  Oil 

Signal  Oil 

Headlight  Oil 

Coal  for  Shovel 

Coal  for  Engine 

Waste  C.  C.  and  Wool 

TOTAL  Supplies 

Per  yard.         Per  day. 
Total: 

Total  Cost  Labor 

Total  Cost  Supplies 

Total  CostS.  S.  Work.. 


APPENDIX  B 

TESTS    OF    THE    MISSISSIPPI    RIVER    COMMISSION    FOR 
HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 

The  dredges  Alpha,  Beta,  Gamma,  Delta,  Epsilon,  Zeta,  Iota, 
Kappa,  and  Henry  Flad,  used  in  the  construction  of  a  channel  in 
the  Mississippi  River  below  Cairo  were  subjected  to  the  following 
tests,  as  adopted  by  the  committee  on  dredges  and  dredging,  of  the 
Mississippi  River  Commission,  dated  July  24,  1902: 

"(i)  Such  test1  shall  be  made  as  may  be  necessary  to  determine  the 
efficiency  of  boilers,  engines,  and  sand  pumps  of  each  of  the  dredges.  The 
relative  efficiency  of  the  several  types  of  jet  pumps,  with  due  consideration 
of  the  results  required  in  economical  dredging  work,  should  also  be  care- 
fully determined. 

"(2)  As  a  basis  for  determining  the  mechanical  efficiency  of  engines 
and  pumps  under  working  load,  it  is  necessary  to  first  determine  their 
frictional  horse-power  when  running  at  normal  speed  without  load. 

"  (3)  The  pump  tests  shall  be  made  by  pumping  water  with  the  intake 
submerged  to  the  normal  depth  and  the  pump  running  at  normal  speed, 
and  also  at  known  speeds  both  higher  and  lower  than  the  normal,  in  order 
to  ascertain  the  effect  of  variations  in  speed. 

"  (4)  In  order  to  ascertain,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  effect  of  the  form 
of  suction  head,  tests  shall  be  made  both  with  and  without  the  suction 
head,  where  these  are  so  attached  as  to  be  readily  removable. 

"(5)  Each  test  shall  embrace  the  determination  of  the  indicated  horse- 
power of  engines,  the  number  of  revolutions  of  pump  per  minute,  the 
velocity  of  flow  in  suction  and  discharge  pipes,  the  suction  and  discharge 
pressures. 

"  (6)  In  addition  to  the  pressure  gages  now  in  use,  mercury  manometers 
should  be  attached  to  suction  and  discharge  pipes  near  pump  for  the 
accurate  determination  of  suction  and  discharge  pressures. 

"  (7)  The  velocity  of  flow  in  suction  and  discharge  pipe  shall  be  care- 
fully measured,  and  their  determinations  made  at  several  points  in  the 
cross-section  of  discharge  pipe,  so  as  to  determine  whether  or  not  the  whole 
of  the  discharge  section  is  effective  under  normal  pumping  conditions. 
This  test  can,  however,  only  be  made  when  pumping  sand,  but  it  would 
not  interfere  materially  with  the  regular  field  work,  if  done  when  dredges 

lFrom  Annual  Report  of  the  War  Department,  1903.     Vol  13. 

327 


328  TESTS  OF  HYDRAULIC  DREDGES 

are  in  operation.     Pilot's  tubes  are  recommended  for  use  in  making  veloc- 
ity observations. 

"  (8)  The  loss  of  head  due  to  friction  in  the  discharge  pipe  shall  be  deter- 
mined. It  is  also  desirable  to  carry  this  investigation  further,  if  found 
practicable,  so  as  to  include  the  effect  of  curved  sections,  rough  joints,  etc. 
"  (9)  It  is  also  desirable  to  measure,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  relative 
efficiency  of  the  double  and  single  intake  to  ascertain  whether  the  flow  of 
two  columns  of  water  from  opposite  directions  and  meeting  at  the  center  of 
the  pump  tends  to  materially  reduce  the  efficiency. 

"(10)  In  conducting  the  above  required  investigation,  other  -lines  of 
inquiry  will  doubtless  be  suggested,  and  if  they  promise  results  of  value 
they  should  be  followed  up. 

"(u)  When  the  required  observations  have  been  completed,  they  shall 
be  carefully  studied  and  compared,  with  a  view  to  determine  the  most 
efficient  type  of  engine  and  pump  now  in  use,  and  how  the  best  of  these 
could  be  improved  upon  in  future  construction. 

"(12)  The  results  of  the  above  investigations  shall  be  embodied  in  a 
report  giving  in  detail  the  type  and  form  of  boilers,  engines,  and  pumps 
examined,  and  the  observations  made  in  each  case,  with  a  summary  show- 
ing from  the  results  which  type  or  combination  of  types  is  the  most  efficient 
and  best  for  the  conditions  met  with  in  the  Mississippi  River. 

"(13)  It  is  intended  that  the  investigations  and  experiments  called  for 
above  will  be  made  at  such  times  as  the  dredges  are  not  otherwise  em- 
ployed, as  when  lying  at  the  bank  waiting  for  suitable  stage  of  water  or  at 
the  close  of  the  coming  dredge  season  before  being  laid  up  for  the  winter. 
It  is,  therefore,  desirable  to  have  such  preparations  made  in  the  way  of 
instruments  and  measuring  appliances  and  attachments  as  may  be 
deemed  necessary  before  going  into  the  field." 


INDEX 


A-frame,  dipper  dredge,  177,  188 
scraper  bucket  excavator,  144 
steam  shovel,  48,  60,  63,  95 

Alabama,  use  of  elevating  graders,  312, 

3i3,  3U 
use  of  scraper  bucket  excavator, 

312,  313,  314 

use  of  steam  shovel,  312,  313,  315 
use  of  wheel  scrapers,  312,  313, 

3H 
Animal   motive   power   for   elevating 

grader,  32 

Arizona,  use  of  Fresno  scrapers,  300 
Atlantic  steam  shovel,  58 
Austin  drainage  excavator,  136 

capacity,  138,  139,  140,  143 

cost  of  operation,  139,  140,  143 

limitations  of,  137,  138 

use  in  Colorado,  139 

use  in  Illinois,  138 

use  in  Texas,  140 
Austin  levee  builder,  boiler,  304 

bucket,  305 

capacity,  305 

engine,  304 

operation,  304 

operating  cost,  305 
Austin  scraper  bucket,  116 
Austin  tile  ditcher,  292 

capacity,  296,  297 

engine,  293 

excavating  chain,  293 

excavating  cost,  297 

operating  cost,  297 

operation,  294 

sizes,  296 
Austin  wheel  ditcher,  145 

capacity,  146,  148 
Avery  traction  steam  shovel,  95 

Belt  conveyors,    201,   204,    205,    213, 
215 


Bibliography,  dipper  dredges,  196 
drag  and  wheel  scrapers,  21 
elevating  graders,  38 
hydraulic  dredges,  241 
ladder  dredges,  221 
levee  builders,  307 
rock  excavators,  223 
scraper-bucket  excavators,  135 
scrapers,  21 
steam  shovels,  98 
templet  excavators,  143 
trench  excavators,  298 
use  of  excavating  machinery,  315 
Boiler,  dipper  dredge,  167,  188 

hydraulic  dredge,  229,  238,  309 
ladder  dredge,  202,  210,  213,  215 
locomotive  crane,  133,  246,  248 
scraper-bucket     excavator,     107, 

301 

steam  shovel,  46,  60,  61 
traveling  derrick,  133,  246,  248 
Boom,  dipper  dredge,  168,  169,  170, 

171,  181,  185,  187,  188,  191 
locomotive  crane,  133,  249 
scraper-burket    excavators,    102, 
103,  112,  123,  125,  126,  128, 
129,  131,  132 
steam  shovel,  47 
traveling  derrick,  133,  249 
Browning  scraper  bucket,  115 
Bucket,  Austin  scraper,  116 
Browning  scraper,  115 
Bucyrus  scraper,  116 
Clam-shell,  50,  251;  253,  301 
Iverson  scraper,  116 
Martinson  scraper,  115 
Orange-peel,  49,  252,  253,  302 
Page  scraper,  114 
Weeks  scraper,  119 
Buckeye  traction  ditcher,  144,  262,  281 
capacity,  263,  286,  287,  288 
cost,  145 


329 


330 


INDEX 


Buckeye  traction  ditcher,  excavating 
cost,  263,  286',  287,  288 

excavating  wheel,  282 

operating  cost,  262,  286,  287,  288 

operation,  284 

sizes,  282 

use  in  Colorado,  262 

use  in  Iowa,  288 

use  in  Kansas,  288 

use  in  Minnesota,  285 

use  in  Ohio,  287 
Bucyrus  scraper  bucket,  116 

steam  shovel,  51,  58,  70,  71,  72,  73, 
74,  75,  77,  80,  82,  83 

Cable,  274,  278,  321 
Cableway  excavators,  272 

Carson-Lidgerwood,  272 

S.  Flory,  278 
California,  use  of  clam-shell  dredge,3oo 

use  of  dipper  dredge,  192 

use  of  Fresno  scrapers,  6 

use  of  scraper-bucket  excavator, 

126 

Canada,  use  of  drill  boats,  219 
Capstan  plow,  capacity,  41 

cost  of  operation,  41 

description,  40 

excavating  cost,  42,  315 

method  of  operation,  41 
Car-body,  steam  shovel,  45,  60,  95 
Cars,  disposal,  320 

dump,  300,  320 
Carson-Lidgerwood  cable  way,  272 

boiler,  273,  274 

cable,  274 

capacity,  273,  275,  277 

engine,  273,  274 

operating  cost,  277 

operation,  272 

traveler,  275 

trestle,  273,  275 

tubs,  273,  275 

use  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  276 
Carson-Lidgerwood    excavator,    exca- 
vating cost,  278 
Carson-Trainor  excavator,  266 
Carson  trench  excavators,  boiler,  267, 
269 


Carson  trench  excavators,  cables,  269 

capacity,  265,  267,  270,  272 

engine  car,  269 

engines,  265,  267,  268 

excavating  cost,  272 

operating   cost,  272 

sizes,  264,  265,  267 

trestles,  267,  269 

tubs,  265,  267,  270,  271 

use  in  Connecticut,  271 
Chicago  drainage  canal,  use  of  elevat- 
ing grader,  37 

use  of  steam  shovel,  71 

use  of  tower  excavator,  155 

use  of  wheel  scrapers,  u 
Chicago,  111.,  use  of  hydraulic  dredge, 
236 

use  of  steam  shovel,  79 
Chicago  trench  excavator,  boiler,  258 

bucket,  261 
chain,  258 

capacity,  259,  261,  262 

engine,  258 

excavating  cost,  262 

operating  cost,  262 

sizes,  259 

use  in  Illinois,  261 
Clam-shell  bucket,  50,  251,  253,  301 
Colbert  Shoals  Canal,  Alabama,  311 
Colorado,  use  of  Austin  templet  ex- 
cavator, 139 

use  of  Buckeye  traction  ditcher, 
262 

use  of  dipper  dredge,  185 

use  of  Fresno  scrapers,  5 

use  of  wheel  scrapers,  1 7 
Comparative  use  of  excavating   ma- 
chinery, 308 

Connecticut,  use  of  trestle   cable  ex- 
cavator, 271 

Continuous  bucket  excavator,  254 
Conveyors,  201,  204,  205,  209,  213,  215 
Cost,  see  the  article  in  question 
Cutters,  hydraulic  dredge,   225,   231, 
233,  238,  240,  309 

Daily  steam  shovel  report,  323 
Dipper  dredges,  163,  300,  306,  315 
A-frame,  177,  188 


INDEX 


331 


Dipper  dredges,  bibliography,  196 

boiler,  167,  188 

boom,  181,  185,  187,  188,  191 

cables,  184 

capacity,  168,  169,  170,  171,  185, 
187,  189,  191,  192,  193,  194, 
196,  311 

cost,  186,  192,  194 

dipper,  182,  185,  187,  191,  192, 

194,  196,  310,  311 
handle,  183,  188,  310 

engines,  173,  188 

excavating  cost,  186,  187,  191, 
192,  193,  194,  196,311,315 

genera]  details,  184 

hoisting  engine,  173,  188 

hull,  163,  185,  187,  310 

operation,  174 

operating  cost,  186,  187,  190,  191, 
192,  193,  194,  196,  311 

sheaves,  184 

sizes,  168,  169,  170,  171 

spud  engine,  179 

spuds,  179,  188 

swinging  engine,  174,  188 

use  in  California,  192 

use  in  Colorado,  185 

use  in  Florida,  187 

use  in  Illinois,  191 

use  in  Louisiana,  194 

use  in  South  Dakota,  187 

use  on  Massena  Canal,  N.  Y.,  310 
Double  tower  excavator,  155 
Drag-line  excavators,  104,312 
Drag  scrapers,   i,  299,  306,    see  slip 
scrapers 

cost,  i 

description  of,  i 

excavating  costs,  2,  315 

sizes,  i 

use  in  Minnesota,  3 

use  in  South  Dakota,  3 

weight,  i 

working  capacities,  2 
Dredges,  classification,  101 

dry-land,  102 

floating  dipper,  163 

hydraulic,  224 

ladder,  197 


Dredges,  steel  pontoon,  205 

walking,  157 
Drill  boats,  218 

bibliography,  223 

capacity,  220,  221 

operating  cost,  220,  221 

operation,  218,  219 

use  in  New  York,  220 

use    on     St.     Lawrence     River, 

Canada,  219 

Dry-land  excavators,  102,  301 
classification,  102 
excavating  cost,  122, 123,  124,  125, 

127,  129,  130,  133,  139,  149, 

153,  154,  313 
operating  cost,  121,  123,  124,  127, 

129,  130,  133,  135,  139,  140, 

149,  153,  154,  314 
use  in  Alabama,  312 
use  in  California,  126 
use  in  Colorado,  139 
use  in  Florida,  124 
use  in  Illinois,  132,  138 
use  in  Louisiana,  301 
use  in  Minnesota,  161 
use  in  Nebraska,  161 
use  in  Nevada,  125 
use  in  North  Dakota,  140 
use  in  South  Dakota,  122 
use  in  Texas,  140 
use  on   New  York   State   Barge 

Canal,  123,  129,  153 
Dump  cars,  74,  300,  320 

Edwards  cataract  pump,  226 
Electrically  operated  steam  shovels,  54, 

76 
Elevating  grader,  description,  30 

excavating  cost,  34,  35,  38,  313, 

3i5 

operating  cost,  33,  34,  35,  38,  314 
use  in  Alabama,  312 
use  in  Minnesota,  36 
use  in  Montana,  35 
use  in  Nebraska,  35 
use  in  South  Dakota,  33 
use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal, 

37 
Ele vator  dredges,  197 see  ladder  dredges 


332 


INDEX 


Embankments,  321 

Engines,  dipper  dredge,  168,  169,  170, 

171,  173,  188 
gasoline,  54,  no,   123,  138,  147, 

158,  162,  259,  285,  291,  293 
hydraulic  dredge,    227,  231,  234, 

238,  326 
ladder  dredge,  202,  204,  209,  213, 

214 

locomotive  crane,  133,  246,  248 
scraper-bucket     excavator,     103, 

109,  113,  123,  124 
steam  shovel,  46,  53,  58,  60,  65, 

95 

templet  excavator,  138,  140 
tower  excavator,  151,  153 
traveling  derrick,  133,  246,  248 
trench  excavators,  256,  258,  259, 
265,  267,  268,  273,  274,  285, 
290,  293,  296 

walking  dredge,  158,  161,  162 
wheel  excavators,  147 
Excavating  cost  with  cableway  exca- 
vator, 277 

with  capstan  plow,  42,  315 
with  continuous  bucket  excavator, 

257,  262,  263 
with  dipper  dredge,  187,  191,  192, 

193,  194,  196,  311,  315 
with  drill  boats,  220,  221 
with  elevating  graders,  34,  35,  36, 

3iS 

with  Fresno  scraper,  5,  6,  7,  8 
with  hydraulic  dredge,  236,  310 
with  ladder  dredge,  207,  208,  213, 

216 
with  locomotive  crane,  134,  253, 

254 
with   Maney  four-wheel  scraper, 

17,  18,  19,  20 

with  Reclamation  grader,  29 
with     scraper-bucket    excavator, 

123,  124,  125,  127,  129,  130, 

132,  134,  135 

with  slip  scraper,  2,  21,  315 
with  steam  shovel,  68,  69,  71,  77, 

78,  79,  81,  82,  84,  85,  86,  87, 

91,  93,  94,  95,  96,  315 
with  templet  excavator,  139,  143 


Excavating  cost  with  tile  trench  ex- 
cavators, 286,  287,  288,  292, 
297 

with  tower  excavator,  154,  155 
with  traction  dredge,  302,  313,  314 
with  traveling  derrick,  134,  253, 

254 
with  trench  excavators,  134,  253, 

254,  257,  262,  263,  272,  277, 

281 

with  trestle  cable  excavator,  272 
with  trestle  track  excavator,  281 
with  two-wheel  grader,  24 
with  wheel  excavator,  149 
with  wheel  scraper,  10,  n,  12,  13, 

14,  15,  16,  21 
Excavators, 

Atlantic  steam  shovel,  58 
Austin  drainage  excavator,  136 
Austin  levee  builder,  303 
Austin  tile  ditcher,  292 
Austin  wheel  ditcher,  145 
Avery  traction  steam  shovel,  95 
Buckeye  traction  ditcher,  144,  262 
Bucyrus  steam  shovel,  51,  58,  70, 

71,72,73,74,75,77,80,82,83 
capstan  plow,  40 
Carson-Trainor,  266 
Carson-Lidgerwood  cableway,  272 
Chicago  trench,  258 
continuous  bucket,  254 
dipper  dredges,  163 
double-tower,  155 
drag-line,  104,  312 
drill  boats,  218 
elevator  dredges,  197 
floating,  163 
Fresno  scraper,  4,  300 
Gopher  ditching,  103 
graders,  23 

elevating,  30 
Ho  viand  tile  ditcher,  289 
hydraulic  dredges,  224 
ladder  dredges,  197 
Jacobs  guided-drag-line,  130 
Junkin  ditcher,  140 
levee  builders,  299 
limitations  of  scraper-bucket,  135 
Lobintz  rock  cutters,  217 


INDEX 


333 


Excavators,    locomotive    crane,    133, 

245 

Maney  four-wheel  scraper,  16 
Marion-Osgood  steam  shovel,  71, 

72,  74,  75,  312 
Otis-Chapman  steam  shovel,  61, 

84,94 

Parsons  traction  trench,  254 
Potter  trench,  279 
Reclamation  grader,  25 
rock,  217 

S.  Flory  cable  way,  278 
scrapers,  drag  and  wheel,  i 
scraper,  with  two  booms,  102 
sewer  trench,  245,  254,  263,  272, 

278 

steam  shovels,  43 
templet,  136 
Thew  automatic  revolving  steam 

shovel,  58,  79,  85,  86 
tile  trench,  281 
tower,  150 

cableway,  272 
traveling  derrick,  133,  245 
trench,  245,  254,  263,  272,  278 

Carson,  264 
trestle  cable,  263 
trestle  track,  278 
Victor  steam  shovel,  71,  75 
Vulcan  steam  shovel,  76,  8 1,  91 
walking  dredges,  157 
water-pipe  trench,  245,  254,  263, 

272,  268 
wheel,  144 
wheel  scrapers,  9 

Feed-pumps,  46 

Feed- water  heater,  108,  172 

Floating  excavators,  163 

elevator  dredges,  197 

hydraulic  dredges,  224 

ladder  dredges,  197 
Florida,  use  of  dipper  dredge,  187 

use  of  scraper-bucket  excavator, 
124 

use  of  steam  shovel,  80 
Four-wheel  grader,  description,  24,  25 
Fresno  scrapers,  4,  300 

cost,  4 


Fresno  scrapers,  description  of,  4 
excavating  cost,  5,  6,  7,  8 
sizes,  4 

use  in  Arizona,  300 
use  in  California,  5 
use  in  Colorado,  5 
use  in  Nevada,  6 
weight,  4 
working  capacity,  5,  6,  300 

Gantry  of  ladder  dredge,  201,  203,  209 
Gasoline    engine    elevator    drive    for 

elevating  grader,  31 
Gasoline  engine  power,  31 
steam  shovels,  54 
scraper-bucket  excavators,  no, 

123 

templet  excavators,  138 
trench  excavators,  259,  285,  290, 

291,  293 

walking  dredge,  158,  162 
wheel  excavators,  147 
Georgia,  use  of  steam  shovel,  80 
Gopher  ditching  machine,  103 
Grab  bucket,  49,  50,  247,  251,  251,  253, 

301,  302 
Grader,     elevating,     animal     motive 

power,  32 
bibliography,  38 
cost,  30 
cost  of  operation,   33,   34,   35, 

36,_37,38 
description,  30 
gasoline-engine  elevator   drive, 

3i 
traction-engine   motive   power, 

32 

use  in  Minnesota,  36 
use  in  Montana,  35 
use  in  Nebraska,  35 
use  in  South  Dakota,  33 
use  on  Chicago    Drainage   Ca- 
nal,    37 
working  capacity,   33,   34,   35, 

36,37,38 

four-wheel,  description,  24 
large  elevating,  description,  30 
ligh   wheel,  25 
cost,  25 


334 


INDEX 


Grader,  reclamation,  cost,  27 

cost  of  road  construction  with,  29 

description,  25 

use  in  Iowa,  27 
road  or  scraping,  23 

cost,  24,  25 

cost  of  excavation  with,   24,  29 

weight,  24,  25 

working  capacity,  24,  27,  29 
small  elevating,  description,  30 
standard  elevating,  description,  30 
standard  wheel,  25 

cost,  25 
two-wheel,  23 

cost,  24 

description,  23 

use  in  Mississippi,  24 

weight,  24 

Hovland  tile  ditcher,  289 

capacity,  292 

engine,  290 

excavating  chain,  290 

operating  cost,  292 

operation,  290 

sizes,  290 

use  in  Minnesota,  291 
Hull,  dipper  dredge,  163,  168,  169,  170, 
171,  185,  187,  310 

hydraulic  dredge,   229,   231,   232, 
236,  309,  310 

ladder  dredge,  199,  302,  205,  208, 

212,  215 

rock  excavators,  218,  219 
Hydraulic  dredges,  224,  302,  309,  310 
bibliography,  241 
boiler,  229,  231,  234,  326 
capacity,  227,  236,  238,  240,  310 
discharge  pipe,  229,  234,  238,  240, 

326 

electric  operation,  239 
engines,  227,  231,  234,  309,  326 
excavating  cost,  310 
hull,  229,  231,  232,  236 
operation,  225 
operating  cost  236,  310 
pump,  226,    231,    234,    237,    240, 

326 
spud  frame,  229,  237,  240 


Hydraulic  dredges,  suction  pipe,  226, 
231,  233,  238,  326 

tests  of  Mississippi  River  Com- 
mission, 326 

use  in  Chicago,  III.,  236 

use  in  Illinois,  303 

use  in  Washington,  239 

use  on  Massena  Canal,  N.  Y.,  309, 
310 

use  on  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal, 
230 

Illinois,  use  of  Austin  templet  excava- 
tor, 138 

use  of  Avery  traction  shovel,  96 
use  of  Chicago  trench  excavator, 

261 

use  of  dipper  dredge,  191 
use  of  hydraulic  dredge,  303 
use  of  Jacobs  guided-line  excava- 
tor, 132 

use  of  steam  shovel,  81 
use  of  trestle  track  excavator,  280 
use  of  wheel  scrapers,  18 

Indiana,  use  of  locomotive  crane,  252 

Iowa,  use  of  Buckeye  tile  ditcher,  288 
use  of  four-wheel  graders,  27 

Iverson  scraper  bucket,  116 

Jack-braces,  51 

Jacobs  guided  drag-line  bucket  exca- 
vator, 130 

cost  of  excavation,  132,  133 

cost  of  operation,  132 

use  in  Illinois,  132 
Junkin  ditcher,  140 

use  in  North  Dakota,  140 

Kansas,  use  of  Buckeye  tile  ditcher, 

288 
Kentucky,   use   of  locomotive   crane, 

253 

Ladder  dredges,  197,  302 
bibliography,  221 
boiler,  202,  210,  215 
capacity,  207,  208,  211,  213,  216 
chain  and  buckets,  200,  203,  205, 

209,  212,  214 
cost,  206 


INDEX 


335 


Ladder  dredges,  electric  operation,  215 
excavating  cost,  207,  208,  214 
gantry,  201,  203,  209 
hull,  199,  203,  206,  208,  212,  125 
ladder,  199,  203,  209,  214 
operating  cost,  207,  208,  211,  213 
operation,  199 
spoil    conveyors,    201,    204,    205, 

209,  213,  215 
spuds,  202,  204 
use  in  Mexico,  208 
use  in  Washington,  211 
use  on  Fox  River,  Wisconsin,  214 
use  on  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal, 

202,    205 

Levee  builders,  299 

Austin  levee  builder,  303 

bibliography,  307 

capacity,  306 

dipper  dredge,  300 

dump  cars,  300 

dry-land  dredge,  300 
in  Louisiana,  301 

excavating  cost,  306 

Fresno  scrapers,  300 

hydraulic  dredge,  302 
in  Illinois,  303 

ladder  dredge,  302 

operating  cost,  306 

scrapers,  299 
Leveler,  321 

Limitations  of  Atlantic  steam  shovel, 
62 

of  Austin  drainage  excavator,  137, 
138 

of  drag-line  excavator,  135 
Lobintz  rack  cutter,  217 

bibliography,  223 

capacity,  218 

operation,  218 

Locomotive     crane,     133,     245,     see 
traveling  derrick 

cost  of  excavating,  134 

specifications,  247 

use  in  Indiana,  252 

use  in  Kentucky,  253 

use  of  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal, 

i33 
Louisiana,  use  of  dipper  dredges,  194 


Louisiana,  use  of  dry-land  dredge,  301 

Maine,  use  of  steam  shovel,  94 
Maney  four-wheel  scraper,  16 

capacity,  17,  18,  19 

cost,  17 

description  of,  16 

excavating  cost,  17,  18,  20 

operating  cost,  17,  18,  20 

use  in  Colorado,  1 7 

use  in  Illinois,  18 

use  in  Oregon,  17 

use  in  Wyoming,  16 

working  capacity,  19 
Marion-Osgood  steam  shovel,  71,  72, 

74,  75,  312 

Martinson  scraper  bucket,  115 
Massachusetts,  use  of  dump  cars,  300 
Massena  canal,  New  York,  309 

use  of  hydraulic  dredge,  309,  310 

use  of  dipper  dredge,  310 
Mexico,  use  of  ladder  dredge,  208 
Minnesota,  use  of  Buckeye  tile  ditcher, 
285 

use  of  elevating  grader,  36 

use  of  Hovland  tile  ditcher,  291 

use  of  slip  scrapers,  3 

use  of  walking  dredge,  161 
Mississippi  River  Commission,  tests  of 

hydraulic  dredges,  327 
Mississippi,  use  of  two-wheel  grader, 

24 

Missouri,  use  of  steam  shovel,  85 
Monighan  scraper  bucket,  115 
Montana,  use  of  elevating  grader,  35 

use  of  steam  shovel,  77 
Monthly  steam  shovel  report,  325 

Nebraska,    use    of    elevating    grader, 

35 

use  of  walking  dredge,  161 
Nevada,  use  of  Fresno  scrapers,  6 

use  of  scraper-bucket  excavator, 

125 

New  York,  use  of  dipper  dredge,  310 
use  of  drill  boats,  220 
use  of  electric  shovel,  76 
use  of  hydraulic  dredge,  309,  310 
use  of  steam  shovel,  69 


336 


INDEX 


N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal,  use  of  hydrau- 
lic dredge,  230 

use  of  ladder  dredge,  202,  205 
use  of  locomotive  crane,  133 
use  of  scraper-bucket  excavator, 

123,  129 

use  of  tower  excavator,  153 
North  Dakota,  use  of  Junkin  ditcher, 

140 
use  of  steam  shovel,  86 

Ohio,  use  of  Buckeye  tile  ditcher,  287 
Ontario,  Canada,  use  of  steam  shovel, 

83,84 

Orange-peel  bucket,  49,  252,  253,  302 
Oregon,  use  of  wheel  scrapers,  17 
Otis-Chapman  steam  shovel,  61 

machinery,  65 

sizes,  62 

weights,  62 

Page  scraper  bucket,  114 

Panama  Canal,  use  of  steam  shovel,  87 

Parsons  traction  trench  excavator,  254 

boiler,  255 

bucket,  256 

capacity,  258 

engines,  256 

operating  cost,  257 
Peleter  dump  cars,  74 
Pennsylvania,  use  of  wheel  scrapers,  12 
Plow,  capstan,  40 
Plowing,  cost,  hard  soil,  2 

ordinary  soil,  i 
Plows,  unloading,  320 
Potter  trench  excavator,  capacity,  280, 
281 

excavating  cost,  281 

operating  cost,  281 

operation,  279 

use  in  Illinois,  280 
Pump,  hydraulic  dredges,  226,  231, 
234,  237,  240,  326 

steam  shovels,  46 

Railroad  construction,   use  of  steam 

shovel,  77,  79,  8 1,  84 
use  of  wheel  scrapers,  12 
Reclamation  grader,  cost,  27 


Reclamation  grader,  description,  25 

excavating  cost,  27,  29 

operating  cost,  29 

use  in  Iowa,  27 

weight,  27 
Record  forms,  for  steam  shovel  work, 

323,  324,  326 
Report  forms  for  steam  shovel  work, 

323,  324,  326 
Revolving  steam  shovels,  51 

Bucyrus  shovel,  5 1 
operation,  52 
power  equipment,  53 

Thew  automatic  shovel,  53 
thrusting  mechanism,  53 
Road  graders,  23 

capacity,  24,  27,  29 

cost,  24,  25 

excavating  cost,  24,  29 

light  wheel  grader,  25 

on  road  construction,  27 

operating  cost,  29 

Reclamation  grader,  25 

standard  wheel  grader,  25 

use  in  Iowa,  27 

use  in  Mississippi,  24 

weight,  24,  25 
Rock  excavators,  217 

drill  boats,  218 

Lobintz  rock  excavator,  217 

Scraper-bucket  excavators,  102,  312 
A-frame,  114 
bibliography,  135 
boiler,  107 
boom,  112 

bucket,  114,  115,  116,  119 
cable,  121 
capacity,  135 
cost  of  excavation,  122,  123,  124, 

125,  127,  129,  130,  313,  315 
description,  104 
electric  power,  112,  129 
gasoline  power,  no,  123 
Gopher  ditching  machine,  103 
hoisting  engine,  109 
operating  cost,  121,  123,  124,  127, 

129,  130,  135,  314 
swinging  engine,  109 


INDEX 


337 


Scraper-bucket  excavators,  use  in  Cali- 
fornia, 126 
use  in  Florida,  124 
use  in  Nevada,  125 
use  in  South  Dakota,  122 
use  on  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal, 

123,  129 
working  capacities,  122,  124,  125, 

126,  127,  129,  130 
Scrapers,  i,  299,  306 
drag,  i 
cost,  i 

description,  i 
excavating  cost,  2,  315 
sizes,  i 

use  in  Minnesota,  3 
use  in  South  Dakota,  3 
weight,  i 

working  capacity,  i,  2,  3 
Fresno,  4,  30 
cost,  4 

description,  4 
excavating  cost,  5,  6,  7,  8 
sizes,  4 

use  in  Arizona,  300 
use  in  California,  5 
use  in  Colorado,  5 
use  in  Nevada,  6 
weight,  4 

working  capacity,  5,  6,  300 
slip,  i,  see  drag  scrapers 
wheel,  9,  299 
cost,  8 

description  of,  8 
excavating  cost,  n,  12,  13,  14, 

15,  16,  17,  20,  21,  313 
Maney  four-wheel  scraper,  16 
operating  cost,  10,  n,  12,  13, 
14,  15,  16,  17,  18,  20,  21,  314 
sizes,  8 

use  in  Alabama,  312 
use  in  Pennsylvania,  12 
use  in  Wyoming,  10 
use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal, 

ii 

use  on  railroad  work,  1 2 
weights,  8 

working  capacities,  9, 10,  n,  12, 
13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,313 
22 


Sewer  trench  excavation  with  steam 

shovel,  69 
excavators,    245,    254,    263,    272, 

278,  see  trench  excavators 
S.  Flory  cableway,  278 

operation,  278 

Shrinkage  in  embankments,  321 
Slip   scrapers,   i,    299,   306, ]'see   drag 

scrapers 
cost,  i 

description,  i 
excavating  cost,  i,  315 
sizes,  i 

use  in  Minnesota,  3 
use  in  South  Dakota,  3 
weight,  i 

working  capacity,  i,  2,  3 
South  Dakota,  use  of  Avery  traction 

shovel,  96 

use  of  dipper  dredge,  187 
use  of  elevating  grader,  33  • . 
use  of  scraper-bucket  excavator, 

122 

use  of  slip  scrapers,  3 
use  of  steam  shovel,  91 
Specifications    for    locomotive    crane, 

247 

steam-shovels,  58,  60,  318 
tower  cableway  excavator,  274 
trestle  cable  excavator,  268 
Spoil  conveyors,   201,   204,   205,   209, 

213,  215 
Spreader,  321 
Spuds,  229,  231,  237,  240 
dipper  dredge,  178,  188 
ladder  dredge,  202,  204,  214 
rock  excavators,  218 
Steam  shovels,  A-frame,  48,  63 
Atlantic  type,  58 
Avery  traction,  95 

use  in  South  Dakota,  96 
use  in  Illinois,  96 
bibliography,  98 
boiler,  46 
boom,  47 
Bucyrus,  51,  58,  70,  71,  72,  73,  74, 

75,  77,  80,  82,  83 
car-body,  45,  51,  60 
classification,  43 


338 


INDEX 


Steam    shovels,    compressed    air    for 

power,  86 

cost  of  excavation  with,  69,  78,  79, 
81,  82,  83,  84,  85,  86,  87,  92, 

^93,  94,  95,  313,  3iS 
cost  of  operation,  67,  69,   71,  78, 

"79,  81,  82,  83,  84,  85,  86,  87, 

92,  93,  94,  95,  315 
dipper,  48 

handle,  48 

electric  operation,  54,  76 
engines,  46,  58,  60,  63,  66 
jack-braces,  51 

Marion-Osgood,  71,  72,  74,  75,  312 
Otis-Chapman,  61,  84,  94 
operation,  65 
pump,  46 

power  equipment,  53 
record  forms,  323,  324,  326 
revolving,  51 
specifications,  58,  6c,  318 
Thew  revolving,  58,  79,  85,  86 
track,  320 
tools,  319 

use  in  Alabama,  312 
use  in  Chicago,  111.,  70 
use  in  Georgia,  80 
use  in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  79 
use  in  Illinois,  81 
use  in  Maine,  94 
use  in  Montana,  77 
use*in  Missouri,  85 
use  in  New  York,  69,  76 
use  in  North  Dakota,  86 
use  on  Panama  Canal,  87 
use  in  Ontario,  Canada,  83 
use  in  South  Dakota,  91 
use  in  Texas,  69 
use  in  Utah,  70 
use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal, 

7i 

Victor,  71,  75 

Vulcan,,  76,  8 1,  91 

weight,  58,  61,  62,  63 

working  capacities,  62,  68,  69,  70, 
71,  72,  73,  74,  75,  76,  77,  78, 
79,  80,  8 1,  82,  83,  84,  85,  86, 
87,  88,  89,  90,  91,  93,  94,  96, 
97,  98 


Steel  dredge  hull,  167 
pontoon  dredge,  205 

Templet  excavators,  136 

Austin  excavators,  136 

bibliography,  143 

capacity,  138,  139,  140,  141,  143 

cost  of  excavation,  139,  143 

coat  of  operation,  139,    140,  143 

Junkin  ditcher,  140 

limitations  of,  137,  138 

operation,  138,  141 

power  equipment,  138,  140 

use  in  Colorado,  139 

use  in  Illinois,  138 

use  in  North  Dakota,  140 

use  in  Texas,  140 

weight,  142 
Tests  of  Mississippi  River  Commission , 

327 
Texas,  use  of  Austin  templet  excavator, 

140 

use  of  steam  shovel,  69 
Thew  revolving  steam  shovel,  58,  79 , 

85,  86 

Tile  trench  excavators,  281 
Austin  tile  ditcher,  292 
bibliography,  298 
Buckeye  tile  ditcher,  281 
capacity,  286,  287,  288,  292,  296, 

297 

cost,  145 
engine,  290,  293 
excavating  chain,  290,  293 
excavating  cost,    286,    287,    288, 

297 

excavating  wheel,  282 
Hovland  tile  ditcher,  289 
operating  cost,  286,  287,  288,  292, 

297 

operation,  284,   294 
sizes,  282,  290,  296 
use  in  Colorado,  262 
use  in  Iowa,  288 
use  in  Kansas,  288 
use  in  Minnesota,  285,  291 
use  in  Ohio,  287 
Tower  cableway,  272 
boiler,  273,  274 


INDEX 


339 


Tower  cable  way,  cable,  274,  278 

capacity,  273,  278 

Carson-Lidgerwood  cableway,  272 

description,  272 

duty,  273,  275,  277 

engine,  273,  274,  277,  278 

excavating  cost,  277,  278 

operating  cost,  277,  278 

operation,  272,  278 

S.  Flory  cableway,  278 

specifications,  274 

traveller,  275 

tubs,  273,  275 

use  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  276 
Tower  excavator,  150 

bucket,  152,  156 

capacity,  153,  154,  155 

cost,  153 

double,  capacity,  156 

cost  of  excavation,  153,  154,  155 

cost  of  operation,  153,  154 

operation,  152,  156 

tower  equipment,  151,  155 

tower,  150,  155 

use  on  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal, 

i53 

double,  use  on  Chicago  Drainage 

Canal,  156 

Traveling  derrick,  133,  245,  see  loco- 
motive crane 

boiler,  248 

boom,  249 

bucket,  251,  252,  253 

capacity,  253,  254 

clutches,  250 

cost,  254 

engines,  248,  252 

excavating  cost,  134,  253,  254 

operation,  246,  252,  253 

operating  cost,  253,  254 

specifications,  247 

trucks,  248 

use  in  Indiana,  252 

use  in  Kentucky,  253 

use  of  N.  Y.  State  Barge  Canal, 

i33 

Trench  excavation,  253,  254,  257,  262, 
263,  272,  277,  281,  286,  287, 
288,  292,  298 


Trench  excavators,  245,     see  the  exca- 
vator in  question 

Austin  tile  ditcher,  292 

bibliography,  298 

Buckeye  ditcher,  262 

Buckeye  tile  ditcher,  281 

Carson,  264 

Carson-Lidgerwood  cableway,  272 

Chicago,  258 

Hovland  tile  ditcher,  288 

Parsons,  254 

Potter,  279 

S.  Flory  cableway,  278 
Trestle  cable  excavator,  263 

boiler,  266,  269 

cable,  269 

capacity,  265,  267,  271,  272 

Carson  trench  excavator,  264 

Caison-Trainor  excavator,  267,268 

description,  264 

duty,  265,  267,  270 

engine,  265,  266,  267,  268,  271 

excavating  cost,  272 

operating  cost,  272 

operation,  264,  266 

specifications,  268 

traveler,  270 

trestles,  269 

tubs,  270 

use  in  Connecticut,  271 
Trestle  track  excavator,  278 

buckets,  279,  280 

capacity,  281 

car,  279 

description,  279 

excavating  cost,  281 

operating  cost,  281 

operation,  279 

Potter  trench  excavator,  279 

use  in  Illinois,  280 
Twentieth  century  grader,  24 
Two-wheel  grader,  23 

cost  of  construction  with,  24 

description  of,  23 

Twentieth  Century  grader,  24 

use  in  Mississippi,  24 

Use  of  excavating  machinery,  308 
bibliography,  315 


340 


INDEX 


Utah,  use  of  steam  shovel,  70 

Victor  steam  shovel,  71,  75 
Vulcan  steam  shovel,  76,  81,  gi 

Walking  dredges,  157 

bucket,    160 

capacity,  161,  162 

description,  157 

method  of  operation,  159,  161 

power  equipment,  158,  161,  162 

use  in  Minnesota,  161 

use  in  Nebraska,  161 
Washington,    D.  C.,  use  of  cableway 

excavator,  276 
Washington,  use  of  hydraulic  dredge, 

239 

use  of  ladder  dredge,  211 
Water-pipe  trench  excavator,  245,  254, 

263,  272,  278 

Weeks  drag-line  shovel,  119 
Weight,  see  the  excavator  in  question 
Wheel  excavators,  144 

Austin  wheel  dicher,  145 

Buckeye  traction  ditcher,  144 

capacity,  148,  149 

cost,  145 


Wheel  excavators,  cost  of  excavation, 

149 

cost  of  operation,  149 
method  of  operation,  144,  145. 
power  equipment,  146,  147 
specifications,  146 
weight,  146 
Wheel  scrapers,  9,  299 
cost,  8 

description  of,  8 
excavation  cost,  n,  12,  13,  14,  15, 

16,  17,  20,  21,  313 
Maney  four-wheel  scraper,  16 
operating  cost,  10,  n,  12,  13,  14, 

15,  16,  17,  18,  20,  21,  314 
sizes,  8 

use  in  Alabama,  312 
use  on  Chicago  Drainage  Canal,  1 1 
use  in  Pennsylvania,  12 
use  in  Wyoming,  10 
use  on  railroad  work,  12 
weights,  8 
working  capacities,  9,  10,  n,  12, 

13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  18.  19,  20, 

3i3 

Wisconsin,  use  of  ladder  dredge,  214 
Wyoming,  use  of  wheel  scrapers,  10 


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